“I think we teach numeracy to students, how to evaluate risk, how to evaluate an argument, how to look at different news sources, how to think critically.” - Bruce Schneier Filmmaker Robert Lang is confused about the risks he faces - from his personal health risks to the big societal risks that might or might not threaten us all. So he goes on a journey to gain insight from the world’s top risk experts. He meets a brainy statistician at Cambridge University and an extreme ice climber on an avalanche prone mountain, a physicist in a nuclear reactor and a security guru at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The twists and turns of the journey lead Robert to replay and reconsider his most risk laden life experiences - from a drunken joyride, to a murder on his doorstep, to a brush with nuclear radiation, to the pages of his family history that speak to current fears about the risk of terrorism. In the end, Robert meets a psychologist whose data proves that society will never agree on the biggest risks we face - that our risk perceptions will always be chained to our tribe. If true, we’re all in trouble. But Robert doesn’t accept that. He finds a reason to hope, and the resolve to be more resilient amid uncertainty.

Also available DV4714.