On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 05:29:18PM -0000, Eric wrote:
>
> In any case, all of these events occur less often than slip and fall
> deaths in bathtubs. My point is that there are bigger safety concerns
> while boating than Hydrogen Chloride gas if you sink your boat.
One of the seminars that I present focuses on computer security, which
also includes the psychological aspects - mainly, perceptions of risk.
In short, people see dying from terrorism (1 in 9.3 million) or shark
attacks (1 in 11.5 million) as being much more "real" than dying in a
car accident (1/8000) or heart attack/stroke (#1 killer in all
first-world nations - about 1 in 3). Even drowning in the bathtub (1 in
689 thousand) is quite a bit higher than either of the former, but note
that it's often used as the "as rare as" comparative...
Batteries exploding are gorgeously graphic, intimate, and personal (it
happens IN YOUR FACE!!!) It's almost tailored to be a high-perception
risk... with an extremely tiny actual number behind it.
--
Ben Okopnik
-=-=-=-=-=-
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