Shankar Vedantam

After a disaster happens, we want to know whether something could have been done to avoid it. Did anyone see this coming? Many times, the answer is yes. So why didn't the warnings lead to action? This week, we explore the psychology of warnings with a visit to a smelly Alaskan tunnel, a gory (and fictional) murder plot, and even some ABBA.

Exploring the psychology of warnings, this text examines why warnings often fail to lead to action, with examples including an Alaskan tunnel and a murder plot.

The Cassandra Curse