From asteroids and gamma-ray bursts to volcanoes, landslides and tornadoes, there are a lot of disasters with the potential to wipe out life on Earth. The stories that follow from Science News and Science News for Students explore the natural disasters that have killed flora and fauna, including humans, throughout history on the planet. Listen and learn about how scientists are trying to understand why these catastrophes happen, how to predict them and what we can do to protect ourselves.