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March 10, 2009

Overreacting to Perceived Risks

The Feb. 15 issue (Vol. 29, No. 4) of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News featured an excellent editorial by Henry I. Miller, M.D., describing how fear and intimidation can distort the accurate assessment of information pertaining to perceived risk. This in turn can lead to squandering of societal resources, if not outright fear-mongering.

Dr. Miller focuses on several factors that can affect the perception of risks, and which are prominent in various controversies about biotechnology; however, the principles extend to many areas of science, and chemistry in particular. These factors include the following

  • Uncertainty and ambiguity

  • Information overload

  • Splitting and projection  (us. vs. them)

  • Desire to return to a childlike world of purity and innocence

  • Manipulation of environmental anxieties

  • Informational cascades

Emotional responses can lead to erroneous conclusions , which in turn can lead to misapprehensions about many technologies, from nuclear to chemical to biological. The heart of the problem involves distinguishing between science and pseudoscience, reflecting a debate that is centuries old.  View Dr. Miller's complete article at the link below.

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Comments

Good words.

Posted by: Carrieann | Apr 23, 2009 3:26:47 AM

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