Misapprehension of Risk

For the superstitious, see my post Where 7 Comes From, which also talks about where 13 comes from.

Quote of the day:
“Do you notice that in almost all of these, a superhero is needed to save us? There is no idea that people en masse might do anything about it. Isn’t that interesting?”
--Jim Hosney, film teacher, reacting to a series of trailers before the movie 28 Days Later.

Question of the day:
When was the last time you used the word “fracas” in general conversation?

One of my many eternal exasperations is what I call the “misapprehension of risk (MOR).”

In the days after 9/11 I imagined panicked people, worried about a terrorist attack, keeping track of each other by cell phone. All the while they’re ignoring the much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much greater risk to their health of using a cell phone while driving.

Human beings are funny.

Parents often reflexively keep their children away from strangers, thinking they are a big risk. They choose to ignore the research which consistently shows that the much bigger risk to children comes from family members and others known to them.

Human beings are funny.

This week’s risk available for misapprehension is the risk of being struck by lightning while wearing an iPod. The news story I saw had an appropriately gruesome picture of the injuries someone suffered when this happened.

Give me a break. A very, very large break.

During a rainstorm or not, you are at bigger risk of falling into a hole, being bitten by a bat, or being sat on by Arnold Schwarzenegger than being struck by lightning.

Among the real risks to wearing an iPod are:
hearing loss from playing it too loud,
walking in front of a speeding car that you don’t hear coming,
alienation from other humans,
and, if you’re a teenager, damage from a parent who is annoyed by your lack of attention.