After PhD candidate Kate Dibiasky discovers a comet on a direct collision course with Earth, she and Professor Randall Mindy try to persuade a politically distracted President, a media-saturated public, and a powerful technology company to stop it before impact.
- Scenes 1–7
Kate and Randall work within the familiar routine of astronomy and university research.
- Scenes 8–26
They discover the impact deadline and need the government and public to respond, but Orlean refuses immediate action.
- Scenes 27–60
Kate and Oglethorpe take the warning outside official channels, entering the press and television world to reach the public.
- Just before
- Scene 58
Phillip and a colleague watch Kate’s outburst in horror.
- Scene 59
Randall makes a joke about Xanax after Kate leaves, winning the hosts’ laughter and an invitation for drinks.
- Scene 60
The Herald quantifies the broadcast’s low engagement, reveals Kate became a meme and Randall a sex symbol, and tells them NASA disputes the impact; Kate discovers Phillip’s article about sleeping with her and breaks down.
- Scene 61
This scene
