Why the way we talk about nuclear needs to change

摘要

Imagine you're on an aircraft heading off on a trip, and next to you the elderly passenger in the window seat, travelling alone, is looking nervous. The crew are all buckled in and she's trembling... As it happens, you're an aircraft safety engineer. You know all the safety features of this plane. Compared to the planes that used to fly this route, which had many more manual sensors and controls, this beauty almost flies itself. You know how the control tower now has a highly automated system for tracking planes in and out (the one they introduced after the big crash 20 odd years ago when the air traffic controller missed a crucial detail...). Maybe you could tell her all this. After all, the safety data on this type of plane is incredibly good. But - thankfully - you decide not to. You ask if she's OK and she says she hates flying, adding it never feels natural to be in a huge metal box three miles up in the sky and she doesn't even like looking out of a window a few floors up in the air.