Fear Index

Asteroid, no. Sharks, yes?

MILD ANXIETY

ASTEROID COLLISION

It's impossible to say with certainty, but experts believe that the odds of a serious strike in the coming year are very, very low.

GLOBAL WINE SHORTAGE

The drought reported in December proved more bark than bite--production levels were low in 2012 but bounced back in 2013.

U.S. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

The recent budget deal practically assures that there won't be a shutdown, but if there's a debt-ceiling catastrophe, all bets are off.

WINTER-IMMUNE COCKROACHES

An Asian species discovered in New York City made headlines. Luckily, its impact will be dulled by the roaches' inability to breed with...

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