On both sides of the Atlantic, the net result is the same: a huge risk-avoidance endeavour which reflects the illusion that everyday life can be made almost perfectly safe.

ECONOMIST: America, Europe and the management of danger: A hazardous comparison | The

"For 80 percent of the common chemicals in everyday use in this country we know almost nothing about whether or not they can damage the brains of children, the immune system, the reproductive system, and the other developing organs, " said Dr. Phil Landrigan, a pediatrician and director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

CNN: Toxic chemicals finding their way into the womb

One recent opinion survey indicated that the French now regard honesty as the most important value in everyday life, and consider the perceived decline in honesty to be almost as regrettable as the decline in politeness.

ECONOMIST: Eva Joly, France’s elite-hunting magistrate | The

False negatives could also be an issue, there are consumer brands that are universally bitched about but still in everyday use and generating loads of social media references, like for example, almost every major bank or credit card company.

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