Stay Aware Without Being Swept Away

Dave Kennedy crouched beside the crater, full of excitement as the camera rolled.

"As you can tell, there's a scorch mark on this side here." He pointed to the blackened rock. "So that would have been the angle it came down at. And it is weighty. I'm not sure of its composition, but we're definitely going to have to find out."

Virgin Media News had struck gold. A perfect crater on the beach. Scorch marks. A mysterious rock. An astrophysics enthusiast with theories about cosmic visitors. Within hours, crowds gathered at Portmarnock Beach. Phones emerged. Social posts multiplied. The crater became a pilgrimage site for anyone hoping they'd witnessed something otherworldly.

The reporter delivered breathless updates. The "expert" analyzed impact angles. Scientists were consulted. The story spread.

Then someone posted a video.