Photo: Sasha You via Flickr
One of the most challenging aspects about reporting on medical research is the need to convey risk in a meaningful way to readers. Human brains are not wired to understand risk in the way we need to understand it in the 21st century. Our brains evolved to assess risks for very different environments and threats than those we face today ― particularly in a time of pandemic.
Those earlier threats were more acute. When people lived as hunters and gatherers, wild animals and anything unfamiliar were the most significant threats. Today’s threats tend to come either from contact with a very familiar object — cars, guns, household chemicals, etc. — or a future risk to develop a chronic and potentially fatal illness. The latter category, which can include conditions such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes, can come from behavior, actions or exposure to a hazardous substance over time. Continue reading
