Spectral lines: Risk comparison

Participants in a recent forum on risk/benefit analysis, cosponsored by U.S. Senate and House subcommittees on science and technology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, flirted with an interesting concept. Although it was not reduced to specific terms, it nevertheless seemed to hover, awaiting explication. The idea is this: Most, if not all, of the public's general distrust of science and technology relates to the hazards and risks associated therewith. Furthermore the public has difficulty categorizing risks and comparing one risk against another. Finally, if the public can be aided in categorizing and comparing risks, a great amount of the skepticism about technology will be dissipated and a wiser and more efficient application of technology to societal needs will ensue.