A closer look
Etymology of the word disaster traces back to the ancient Greek and Latin roots dis meaning bad and aster meaning star, literally translating to an ill-starred event; before we understood plate tectonics, viral epidemiology, or the basic mechanics of a low-pressure weather system, the easiest way for ancient civilizations to explain a horrific tragedy was just to assume the sky was mad at them, and now we use a word deeply rooted in ancient astrological superstition to describe very real modern catastrophes like nuclear meltdowns, economic collapses, and the absolute mess that is the modern dating pool, making it comforting to know that our ancestors were just as dramatically eager to blame the literal layout of the galaxy for their terrible luck as a modern millennial consulting tarot cards after getting fired
