After Armageddon

US – It may sound like science fiction, but there is in fact a global network of men and women tasked with preventing the extinction of humanity.

• A new documentary looks at disaster mitigation, unexpected failure systems and adversity in the space programme
• The film forms one part of Disaster Playground, a speculative critical design (SCD) platform that examines global Armageddon

A group of astronomists, astronauts and physicists form the subject of Disaster Playground, the latest documentary from film-maker and experiential designer Nelly Ben Hayoun.

Working with experts from NASA, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute and a team of international collaborators, Hayoun investigates the processes meant to save the last of the human race in the event of an asteroid collision.

‘You see the people who would actually be picking up the phone if an asteroid were to strike and follow the chain of command, from NASA to the White House,’ Hayoun tells LS:N Global.

The Big Picture: Brands could learn a lot from the long-term thinking employed by organisations tasked with predicting and preparing for global disasters. For more, read our macrotrend The Immortal Brand.