What You Don't Know Can Kill You

[Persia]

Humans have a perplexing 
tendency to fear rare threats such as shark attacks while blithely 
ignoring far greater risks like 
unsafe sex and an unhealthy diet. Those illusions are not just 
silly—they make the world a more dangerous place.


http://discovermagazine.com/2011/jul-aug/11-what-you-dont-know-can-kill-you

[Mentalcase]

Isn't that just a simple way to make up an article? Let's write the obvious and sell it to the masses. I have a fear of retardation via journalism.

[AiresWing]

I have the Fear of KNOWING.. and not able to do any thing about it..

[angi chiesa]

I am 75 years old and had some stokes. I ride a powerfull bike in the streets of Thailand. What worries me..of course its the impending alien invasion.All those UFO lights in the sky at night though.I would like to be abducted so I can take some fuzzy photos.

[J Gab]

I work in a produce section in Ohio. People here were asking about radiation levels in food from California. I constantly told them the radiation levels from Japan were incredibly weak and did not affect the food in California. Numerous times, these people did not believe me- because they had heard it on the news...

...it makes me sad to have my background be in journalism.

[Muenzenhamster]

They honestly believed that the incident in Japan irradiated crops in California? Dang, if it were that powerful everyone in Hawaii would be long dead. Yet I'll bet none of them realize that the potassium in bananas will set off radiation detectors at security checkpoints. We're surrounded by it daily, low levels are really nothing to fear.

[Consumer]

"Yet I'll bet none of them realize that the potassium in bananas will set off radiation detectors at security checkpoints"

Honestly, I did not know that lol. That is interesting, thanks for that info

[Xanthurion2]

it's probably because earthquakes and volcanoes, shark attakck, etc kill you instantly whereas poor health takes a while

[Reason101]

I totally agree ,we are programed to react to danger NOW not to danger that might possibly happen maybe one day .Also our reactions to danger tend to be visual ,and it is a lot easier to see a shark biting you or an earthquake shake the ground than an internal health problem in development .

[bLu3 de 3n3rgy]

I work in a produce section in Ohio. People here were asking about radiation levels in food from California. I constantly told them the radiation levels from Japan were incredibly weak and did not affect the food in California. Numerous times, these people did not believe me- because they had heard it on the news...

...it makes me sad to have my background be in journalism.

Depends what generation you are dealing with. It's not that sad or silly. My parents informed me that during the Chernobyl radiation, there was very little media about it but it affected the western world. Being In the UK they were warned of the heavy rains being 'toxic' and to keep out of these heavy rains. I was just a very young child at this time. What they told of was more evident in the food supply. Lamb for instance was taken off the menu at any restaurant for some time. So grazing animals such as sheep were adversely affected enough.

[Dom3434]

The worst part about this is it is so true. through are daley lives we are feed fear, and countless amounts of it. Especialy in the news. I for one don't weatch the news or hardly even wathc tv for the same matter. I will galnce at the paper to see what is going on, but they are just tools to keep us in place, and in countrol. We are a race of worries and fear and that is the biggest setback. It has beenimposed on us since birth and is therefore all we know of. It's quite sad actually even in a huge disaster that peopel 5000miles away poeple are worried about the radiation. its really discusting in my view that we are such a self centerd race. please if someone could prove me wrong it would make my week.

[Clarakore]

it's probably because earthquakes and volcanoes, shark attakck, etc kill you instantly whereas poor health takes a while

I totally agree ,we are programed to react to danger NOW not to danger that might possibly happen maybe one day .Also our reactions to danger tend to be visual ,and it is a lot easier to see a shark biting you or an earthquake shake the ground than an internal health problem in development .

This makes perfect sense.

[FlyingAngel]

Yes, visual is the key. A blind people wouldn't make the difference between a shark and an illness (because he probably never knows a shark in his whole life => not fearing the unknown)