Risk Perception  

Darwin told us that only the strong survive.  Mom told us to be careful.  Underlying both these statements is the fact that all actions carry some risk of death.  Whether you are driving a car, having sex, or getting a sun tan, you could die as direct result of the activity.  Some activities carry a higher risk of death than others.  So it would be best if we knew the risk of each activity and could make a rational decision about whether or not the activity is worth the risk. Unfortunately, researchers have consistently shown that we are biased in our risk assessment.  Here at the CCPL we try to understand this bias and see if we can reduce its effects.