Every once in awhile, a story of impending apocalypse captures the public’s imagination - whether it’s a the threat of a devastating volcanic eruption or a collision with a massive asteroid. While the chances of a catastrophic event is low, the chance exists. And as long as the probability is north of zero, there will be people working to monitor, prepare, and even prevent the worst case scenario. In Guardians of the Apocalypse, we meet the people standing between us and our greatest fears.

Guardians of the Apocalypse Videos

The eruption of Mount Tambora pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. Today, active supervolcanoes still have the power to nullify our future. Are we prepared?

In 2013, a small meteor exploded above Chelyabinsk, Russia that sent over 1,200 people to the hospital. Now, NASA has plans to detect Earth-bound asteroids and defend the planet from another large-scale catastrophe.

In 2010, an earthquake killed 222,570 people in Haiti, injuring 300,000 and displacing over a million. In an attempt to discover how to predict earthquakes, these researchers are using machine learning to analyze the acoustic data from tectonic plates.

Reflecting the sun’s rays is a proposed last-ditch effort to mitigate the effects of global warming. This Harvard research team is trying to better understand the potential risks in order to save the planet.
Go Deeper: Articles from Guardians of the Apocalypse

This stellar engine could harness the power of the sun to drag our solar system throughout the galaxy, preventing a catastrophic collision.