In real life, however, the coronavirus pandemic now spreading across the planet has triggered little in the way of visible public panic. ADAD“A society united in fear is more cohesive,” said Simon Briscoe, a British statistician who wrote a book, “Panicology,” on when and why people panic. Briscoe argued that the modern era had produced a tendency toward panic that was neither healthy nor sustainable. Now that a real pandemic has developed, he said, it has become clear that the key to preventing panic is good, dependable information. But it is still possible for governments, scientists and other experts to avert panic and bring people together, Briscoe said.

Source: Washington Post March 13, 2020 16:43 UTC