Airplane Quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson
“The chances that your tombstone will read 'Killed by Asteroid' are about the same as they'd be for 'Killed in Airplane Crash.'”
About This Quote
Source Talk: Science Communication Lecture, 2015
Asteroid deaths are extremely rare compared to airplane crashes.
In simple terms: Asteroid kills are far less likely than plane crashes.
Key Takeaway
Don't overestimate rare risks.
Themes
risk perception
statistics
probability
media
Mood
informative
calming
Type
educational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- travel safety
- space policy
- insurance
- public messaging
Key Concepts
rarity bias
risk assessment
public understanding of science
Questions to Reflect On
- What influences our fear of rare catastrophes?
- How can we better communicate statistical risk?
A Different Perspective
People may still fear dramatic but unlikely events.
![“Here is the secret to surviving one of these [airplane] crashes: Be male. In a 1970 Civil Aeromedical institute study of three crashes involving emergency evacuations, the most prominent factor influencing survival was gender (followed closely by proximity to exit). Adult males were by far the…” quote by Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/413/mary-roach-635_adults_here-is-the-secret-to-surviving-one-of-t_373363.jpg)
![“They [scientists of centuries past] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations, however, God gets hardly a mention.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_century_they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-o_12921.jpg)
