Paul Slovic discusses human perception towards mass tragedies and losses at scale.

We as a global society value individual lives greatly and respond strongly to protect a single

Paul Slovic discusses human perception towards mass tragedies and losses at scale.

We as a global society value individual lives greatly and respond strongly to protect a single person in need, but often ignore mass tragedies and fail to take appropriate measures to reduce their losses. As the numbers grow larger, we become insensitive; the data fail to trigger the emotion or feeling necessary to motivate action. In some cases, large numbers convey a false sense of inefficacy, discouraging us from taking valuable actions. Understanding how our minds deceive us in the face of large losses of life is essential to motivating actions needed to reduce the harm from catastrophic consequences such as those associated with poverty, disease, climate disasters, and violence.

Paul Slovic received his B.A. degree from Stanford University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in psychology from the University of Michigan. In 1976, Dr. Slovic founded the research institute Decision Research with Sarah Lichtenstein and Baruch Fischhoff, where he currently serves as President. He has also been a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon since 1986. He and his colleagues worldwide have developed methods to describe risk perceptions and measure their impacts on individuals, industry, and society. His most recent work examines “psychic numbing” and the failure to respond to global threats from genocide and nuclear war. He publishes extensively and serves as a consultant to industry and government.

Dr. Slovic is a past President of the Society for Risk Analysis and in 1991 received its Distinguished Contribution Award. In 1993 he received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association. In 1995 he received the Outstanding Contribution to Science Award from the Oregon Academy of Science. He has received honorary doctorates from the Stockholm School of Economics (1996) and the University of East Anglia (2005). Dr. Slovic was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015 and the National Academy of Sciences in 2016.

Moderated by Ozgen Dundar.

Matt decided to get a Geoscience single-subject teaching

Matt decided to get a Geoscience single-subject teaching credential at UC Irvine, and after several years of teaching Marine Science (chemistry, biology, ecology, and other related topic concerning the world’s oceans) and ROP Environmental Horticulture (career technical education in using plants for beauty, shelter, and food) at Northwood High School (Irvine, CA), he became extremely interested in the connection between the food we eat and the negative impacts of modern agriculture on the health of the oceans (acidification, ocean warming, dead zones, etc.), so he telephoned his old Peace Corps friend Nathan.

In 1999, Matt and Bobbie Brown met Nathan McFall in a small village, Kuma-Dunyo, in Togo, West Africa. They worked with farmers, non- government organizations, and students introducing and implementing environmental awareness and education programs, soil conservation techniques, and animal husbandry.