Category Archives: psychology

Contaminated Concepts about Chernobyl

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Thoughtscapism

Visiting Chernobyl is an opportunity to reflect on a tragic piece of history, but also our own risk perceptions. It is not dangerous. It offers a great chance to observe thriving wildlife – no three headed fish or glow-in-the-dark rats among them. Continue reading →

Posted in energy, environment, nuclear, psychology, science communication, society | Tagged , | 6 Comments

The Risks of Failed Risk Assessments On Natural vs Unfamiliar Sources of Energy

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

German society Nuklearia kindly invited me to write about risk perceptions on the topic of energy on their blog, where this piece originally appeared in German. You can read it in English below. Humans are naturally bad at assessing complex … Continue reading →

Posted in climate, energy, health, psychology | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

What Level of Risk Justifies Denying People Their Homes? A Look at Fukushima vs Pollution in Big Cities

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

I was very moved after hearing the heartfelt testimonies of teacher Yoshiko Aoki, high-school student Moe Harada, and a group of students dialling in from Fukushima to the OECD NEA risk communication workshop in Paris. I previously shared with you … Continue reading →

Posted in energy, environment, health, nuclear, psychology, society | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Stories from Tomioka Town, Fukushima

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

I want to share with you the touching testimonies of a teacher and students of Tomioka town in Fukushima prefecture, whom I had the privilege of listening to while I attended a radiological risk communication workshop at OECD Nuclear Energy … Continue reading →

Posted in nuclear, psychology, society | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Appreciating Stories – as a Scientist, Writer, and Human

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

When things get difficult, I seek comfort in stories. This might not be so surprising, after all, stories are the fundamental building blocks of human reality. We view the world through our identity, the story of who we are, and … Continue reading →

Posted in literature, meta, psychology, society | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“What About Radioactive Wastelands?” A Look at Chernobyl’s Effects on Nature

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Thoughtscapism

“What about Chernobyl?” is a question many people ask whenever nuclear power is discussed. In my first look at that question, in the previous article, I put the World’s Deadliest Energy Accidents in Perspective. But many people will point out … Continue reading →

Posted in biology, energy, environment, history, nuclear, psychology, society | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Saving Lives Is Not Shameful – Let’s Break the Stigma on Supporting Nuclear Energy

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

I own a t-shirt that says “Ask me about nuclear energy.” On the back there’s an image of a cooling tower and the words: “Sustainable. Ecological. Independent.” I wore it to my daughter’s first day at our village music kindergarten … Continue reading →

Posted in energy, environment, nuclear, parenting, psychology, renewables, society | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Do we fear the right things?

Posted on July 21, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

I had the privilege of giving a public presentation at a large Finnish political discussion and debate fair Suomi Areena for the Finnish Ecomodernist Society in Pori a few days ago. (Finnish readers can view the presentation here – skip over to … Continue reading →

Posted in biotechnology, health, nutrition, psychology | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Risk In Perspective: Zero Risk Is an Impossible Dream

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

This series is a collaboration between neuroscientist Alison Bernstein and biologist Iida Ruishalme. Errors in risk perception are at the core of so many issues in science communication that we think this is a critical topic to explore in detail. … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, alternative medicine, energy, environment, health, psychology | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Risk In Perspective

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

This series is something neuroscientist Alison Bernstein and biologist Iida Ruishalme have been brewing over for a long time. Risk perception is such a big crux in science communication that it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on. We decided … Continue reading →

Posted in health, parenting, psychology, science communication, vaccines | Tagged , | 13 Comments