What do Rush Limbaugh, John Boehner, James Inhofe, and George Will have in common? Several things. They are influential members of society, 'elites' who have a big effect on policy. They adamantly deny that human-made climate change is happening. And they are all conservative white men. Probably the only...

Fear of vaccines is perhaps the classic example of the "perception gap," the phenomenon I've written about here before, where we are either more afraid of a lesser risk or not afraid enough of a bigger one, based on the best available evidence, and the gap itself creates danger. The...

It is not overstating it to say that the world will be watching Washington these next couple weeks, nervously, since the global economy relies on the full faith and credit of the United States, and America's ability to borrow money, and therefore to repay it's debts, is in jeopardy....

You see it all the time: the rationalist argument about the way people perceive risk. It goes something like this: "Why are you so afraid of X [insert some threat that has a really low probability but which is really scary] when you should be more afraid of Y [insert...

The outbreak of food-borne disease in Europe offers an interesting lesson in the psychology of risk perception, and how that psychology can contribute to the overall risk. To be sure, the danger from this outbreak is real. It has tragically killed nearly two dozen people so far, and sickened more...

The decision by a Toronto couple to keep the gender of their new baby Storm a secret, to protect the child from the constraints of social gender norms, is honorable. Naïve, but honorable.

What's puzzling is that the couple already has two sons. This means they ought...

There is an interesting piece at Book Beast about "The Future of Book Reviews: Critics vs. Amazon Reviewers." It reports on a panel discussion sponsored by the National Book Critics Circle which, unsurprisingly, included four prominent 'professional' reviewers but no one representing the casual reader/reviewer, who...

Fear is a great thing for bringing people together. Witness the nearly unanimous initial response to the death of Osama bin Laden. Witness the remarkable unity and civility among otherwise bitter political enemies. Witness the congratulations from nations around the world, nations that are usually so ready to criticize the...

The first glimmers of hope begin to shine from the nuclear crisis in Japan, but they will do little to brighten the views of some about nuclear power. As the disaster at Fukushima has shown, nuclear certainly has risks, as do all forms of energy. But the disaster has also...

While there is good news from the crippled reactors in Japan, another component of the threat of radiation still looms. The Japanese government, and the company in charge of the damaged nuclear complex, are struggling with their risk and crisis communications, and their missteps are fueling mistrust and anger, which...

Where do you stand on climate change? How about gun control? Are you for gay marriage or against? Wherever you stand, you probably base your positions on the facts. But something far deeper is shaping your view of those facts. Want to participate in a little quiz, to help...

As a resident of Concord, Mass., where American revolutionaries first shot back at their British oppressors, its impossible to watch what's going on in Egypt and not feel a connection with the people who have taken considerable risk to stand up for a better life. We are told that their...

With apologies to Robert Frost...

Whose snow this is I think I know.
It's ours, and how the piles grow.
It does not see us standing here
With shovel ready, cold with fear.

My dogs must surely think it hard
To poop in such a...

Last May British medical authorities stripped Dr. Andrew Wakefield of his license to practice medicine. In case the name isn't familiar, Wakefield was the lead author of the 1998 paper published in The Lancet (and later retracted) that set off worldwide fear of vaccines. Now the British Medical Journal has...

It's been a scary year, hasn't it? Sticking Toyota accelerators and gushing oil wells and somebody trying to blow something up every few weeks. Scary chemicals, contaminated eggs, screwy severe weather. Lord, it's enough to make you think that just waking up can be downright dangerous.

But let's review a...

Rush Limbaugh recently compared the murder of Native Americans by European settlers with the deaths of European settlers who learned about tobacco smoking from the natives. Which is pretty stupid. Not ideological or right wing or politically incorrect. Just third-grade dumb. It's like comparing the victims of mass murder --...

What color worried are you today? No-worries Green? Freaked-out Red? A-little-nervous Yellow? Not for long. The color-coded chart of our fears is about to become an historical footnote, a relic that teaches some important lessons about risk perception, terrorism, and public health and safety. Hopefully the new system will...

Is it accurate, or arrogant, to say that people who are afraid can't think straight? Is it condescending, or correct, to say that people who are worried and uncertain are just not capable of rationally considering all the facts and making a reasonable choice? Is it fair, or foul,...

Germany's ambivalence about nuclear power, common in many developed countries, is again on display following the decision by Chancellor Merkel and the Bundestag to extend the operating life of the nation's 17 nuclear plants for an average of 12 years beyond their currently scheduled closure dates. Merkel says this will...

The word: Feariness

A lot of punditry take various players to task for using fear. Using it to garner votes. Using it to garner sales or sell papers or increase ratings. Using it to garner support for a wide variety of causes or ideologies.

This denigrates fear... the real kind......