The Catastrophe Theory is an opinion held by some agents of the PPC that HQ is headed for imminent destruction. By looking at the increasing frequency of PPC Emergencies, they have concluded that The End Is Nigh. They even have a graph to demonstrate that fact:
A later version of the theory, adopted after the moratorium on Emergencies meant several years passed without the dreaded Catastrophe occurring, posits that DOOM is actually already here:
(Errata: the "Tangled Web" fiasco actually took place in 2002, not 2003.)
No one is quite sure what to make of this. As it stands, the current status and popularity of the Catastrophe Theory within the PPC are unknown, but knowing how askew one's perception of reality can become in HQ, there's probably still someone who is convinced of its validity.
Catastrophe Theory is not particularly related to Cycle Theory, although many of the same people believe in both, and some say that the latter may be a cause of the former.
Other Uses[]
Catastrophy Theory is also the name of a series of apocalyptic-future AU stories by Phobos. The series is named after the theory.