Imagine a scenario where a colossal asteroid is hurtling towards Earth, its trajectory set for a catastrophic collision. It's a plot straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster, but could it become our reality? Every year, hundreds of space rocks breach our atmosphere, yet most are too small to cause significant damage. However, the historical evidence of large asteroid impacts on Earth suggests that such an event could happen again. Are we ready for the worst-case scenario?
In 2019, a prevailing notion both in the UK and internationally was that the nation was not only ready but among the best prepared in the world to tackle a pandemic. This confidence was, however, dangerously misplaced. The reality was that the UK was ill-equipped to handle the civil emergency of a pandemic, let alone the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 crisis that soon engulfed the nation.