risk perception and actual hazards
In her thesis on a work called »Fear Tuners — Protheses for Instincts« Susanna Hertrich writes about a wearable device that helps people to sense global and abstract dangers, be it a stock market crash or the rise of the oil price. It stimulates the autonomous nervous system to cause a state of increased awareness. Whenever stressful data is being delivered to this gadget, one can feel physically uncomfortable about it, although we lack the corresponding instincts.
I like the visualization of some exemplary fears we all know but mostly misjudge, for example of the consequences of environmental pollution, a plane crash or cancer. Susanna’s »Reality Checking Device« uses this graphic as well. I find the depicted information very interesting, although it consists of very few data. The mostly very big mismatch between how we use to feel about risks and the actual danger made me think. How about you?
image credit: Susanna Hertrich
Reality Checking Device – Screen Capture from susanna hertrich on Vimeo.