With our current pandemic related concerns, we seem to have forgotten about other scary things, like terrorism or environmental catastrophe. Should we be concerned by our lack of worry?

We discuss whether we worry about the right things, whether we are worrying less than we used to and whether worry can even be accurately measured. What is the right amount to worry and what is the purpose of worrying? Does it serve a rational function?

Things mentioned in this podcast:

- Personal well-being, according to the ONS https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/measuringnationalwellbeing/april2018tomarch2019

- Ipsos MORI’s ‘issues index’, tracking top concerns over time https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/issues-index-archive

- Cognitive economics is a new field that takes the goings on inside of the mind seriously http://www.knowingandmaking.com/2019/05/what-is-cognitive-economics.html

- System 3: Decision making through imagination http://www.hcdi.net/back-to-the-future-system-3/

- Help to stop worrying

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/how-to-stop-worrying.htm

Find more Cognitive Engineering episodes here https://link.chtbl.com/SQeIgc44

Image: Icare Girard via Flickr