What comes to mind risk-wise when I say the following things?

Shark attacks.

The biggest joke of all time.

All right, um, terrorist attacks.

The biggest waste of time ever.

This is Freakonomics Radio, a new podcast about the hidden side of everything.

In this episode, what do NASCAR drivers glen back and the hitmen of the NFL have in common?

Here's your host, Stephen Dubner.

How about the risk of, uh, just something almost everybody does every day driving your car?

Incredibly low, uh, that if, if nothing were to kill you, except driving your car and all

you did was drive your car day and night, day and night, day and night, you'd expect

to live for 250 years.

Steve Levit is the guy I write books with, Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics.

He's a professor at the University of Chicago and he looks like a professor, skinny, thick

glasses, comfortable shoes.

No one's ever going to mistake him for a tough guy.

But there aren't many things he's afraid of, you know why?

Because he's a data guy who's spent a lot of time figuring out what'll kill you and

what won't.

So he thinks most of our fears are vastly overrated.

Uh, I think it's just five of them think for one thing.

Right?

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