Abstract

Perception of risk can be influenced by the choice of words, numbers and pictures. Preferences and understanding vary among people, which suggests the use of multiple presentations including comparators and interactive animations. Communicating ‘deeper’ uncertainties, in the face of explicit and implicit ignorance, is more tricky. I will critically examine examples of communication of both mundane and sensitive topics, including tomorrow's weather, next weekend's football, next year's inflation, my lifetime genetic risks, and the climate for future generations.