Is Asteroid Economics about asteroid mining?

No. Despite the name, this framework is not related to asteroid mining or the potential financial value of space resources. It is a theory of human behavior under civilizational threat — entirely distinct from space industry economics.

What is Asteroid Economics?

Asteroid Economics is a novel theoretical framework describing how societies respond when survival feels fragile. Its central paradox: awareness of existential threats often accelerates consumption and short-term decision-making instead of encouraging restraint.

Is the Construct Novel?

Asteroid Economics is associated with Terror Management Theory, but it is also a distinct construct.

• Unprecedented conditions: Constant awareness of species-level fragility combined with individual powerlessness.

• Novel scope: Specifically for civilizational-scale threat psychology.

• Information-age specificity: Identifies behavior under digital threat saturation, where existential risks are communicated globally and continuously.

• Paradox resolution: Explains the counterintuitive dynamic where rational awareness produces irrational outcomes — warnings accelerate indulgence and short-termism.

What patterns does the framework identify?

• Temporal collapse where future planning becomes “pointless” when continuity feels uncertain.

• Acceleration under scarcity as spending rises even when resources are constrained.

• Symbolic intensification as goods and experiences gain heightened value as potential “final” expressions of identity.