Phunny Phobias
If you met someone who was afraid of paper or wax statues, wouldn't you tell them to stop being so ridiculous and get over it? Every Monday, Null editor Hayley hand-picks another bizarre phobia and tries to work out whether it's real or rubbish.
This week:
Spacephobia: fear of outer space
What's so scary about it?
Oh I don't know... At a long shot, I'd say maybe exploding stars, massive swirling clouds of dust and gas, big balls of rock travelling at half a million miles an hour and the idea of falling into a black hole and coming out in 1983. Just a thought.
What do the scientists say about it?
Nothing, at least not in the sense that we're talking about here. Although spacephobia does seem to be an alternative name for a condition known as "motorist vestibular disorientation", a sort of agoraphobic disorder affecting car drivers, by my understanding.
Hayley says:
"Unless you're an astronaut this seems like a rather ridiculous phobia to suffer from. And any spacephobic astronaut is really going to need to rethink their career choice. No, I don't believe it. Rubbish."
So far: Real 13 Rubbish 15
Find phunny phobias from other weeks here.
Null's other regular features:
Tuesday: Nutty Nomenclature
Wednesday: Doctor Doctor
Thursday: Peculiar Periodicals
Friday: End of week timewasters
Erratically: The World in Brief
Image: NASA
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