2 July 2003
As you may be aware, in May 2003 spiked held a conference at London's Royal Institution entitled PANIC ATTACK: INTERROGATING OUR OBSESSION WITH RISK. The conference brought together an international audience to assess the spread of risk aversion into ever-more spheres of life.
I thought you might be interested in the proceedings and related material from the conference that have been published to date.
CHALLENGING THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
by Helene Guldberg
How has society come to be governed by the maxim 'better safe than sorry'?
http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/00000006DE2F.htm
WHO WANTS TO LIVE UNDER A SYSTEM OF ORGANISED PARANOIA?
by Mick Hume
The principle of safety first has become the major barrier to social advance.
http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/00000006DDA5.htm
PANIC ATTACK
by Helene Guldberg
spiked's London conference debated the dangers of risk-aversion.
http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/00000006DD9B.htm
SCIENCE, RISK AND THE PRICE OF PRECAUTION
by Sandy Starr
The scientific community imagines what society would have lost, had the 'precautionary principle' governed science in the past.
http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/00000006DD7A.htm
RISKY LIVING
by Professor Sir Colin Berry
Why do we fear things that are as rare as getting struck by lightning?
http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/00000006DDFE.htm
DOWN WITH THE 'SLIPPERY SLOPE' ARGUMENT
by Mick Hume
The prevalence of this nonsense speaks volumes about society's loss of faith in the human subject.
http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/00000006DE27.htm
SCARING INTO SPACE
by Helene Guldberg
A new book by Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal, gives humanity a 50/50 chance of survival.
http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/00000006DDB4.htm
APOCALYPSE FROM NOW ON
by Dr Michael Fitzpatrick
SARS has become a blank screen on to which the world can project its fears.
http://www.spiked-online.com/articles/00000006DD71.htm
Sandy Starr
spiked Ltd
Email: Sandy.Starr@spiked-online.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 7269 9234
Fax: +44 (0)20 7269 9235