Risk Science - Appendix B1 (+ exam questions) Flashcards
What is risk science?
Risk science is the most updated and justified knowledge on risk fundamentals (concepts), risk assessment, risk perception and communication and risk management and governance.
Risk science is also about the process that gives us this knowledge.
What is applied risk analysis?
Applied risk analysis supports risk knowledge generation and communication in relation to specific activities and supports the tackling of specific risk problems or issues.
Examples are for example the risk analysis of climbing mount Everest or risk analysis of attacks on SCADA systems.
What is generic risk analysis?
Generic risk analysis covers generic concepts, principles, approaches and methods on how to understand, assess, characterize, communicate, manage and govern risk.
One example the curriculum or the research done at the university of Stavanger, where they do research related to inter alia generic concepts, principles, approaches and methods on how to understand, assess, characterize, communicate, manage and govern risk.
What is risk science knowledge compared to knowledge?
Justified beliefs
Generic risk science: knowledge relates to the development of generic concepts, principles, approaches and/or methods on how to understand, assess, characterize, communicate, manage and govern risk
Explain how generic risk analysis provides insights to applied risk analysis
Generic risk analysis covers generic concepts, principles, approaches, and methods on how to understand, assess, characterize, communicate, manage and govern risk. This knowledge can be used for solving real risk problems and issues.
Explain the role of experts in risk analysis. Give an example
In risk analysis we distinguish between two types of experts. Experts providing knowledge about the activity under consideration and experts in risk analysis. They both contribute to the applied part and the generic part of risk analysis
As an example, we can consider the applied case of doing a risk assessment related to the spread of a virus. One kind of expert could be a physician providing insights into how the virus develops and infects other people. Another kind of expert could be a risk analysis expert providing insights into what strategies we can use in order to manage the risk.
Risk science is the most updated and justified knowledge on risk fundamentals (concepts), risk assessment, risk perception, risk communication and risk management and governance.
Is this knowledge static in time? Explain. Can it be contested? Is science one voice? Discuss
No as for any science, it develops over time, it is the most updated and justified at a specific point in time. Yes what is the best is always discussed/contested, typically there are different schools, advocating for their perspectives and beliefs. This also means that science is not one voice. It is highly problematic when trying to reduce science to one view as developments require discussions and beliefs are questioned etc.
Tom is an expert in communicating health risk to the public. Discuss to what extent he then also needs to be an expert on risk science
Risk science is the most updated and justified knowledge on risk fundamentals (concepts), risk assessment, risk perception, risk communication and risk management and governance. So yes he needs to have the best knowledge on risk communication but also other areas in particular fundamentals – he cannot communicate health risk in a good way without being updated.
Give an example how generic risk science knowledge on risk characterization can help or support risk communication in relation to a pandemic caused by a virus.
Such knowledge can help health experts communicate the risk in a way that is in line with risk science, for example using the method described in problem 2, fixing C, and showing P and
SoK
Why cannot knowledge be interpreted as justified true beliefs in a risk science context?
As the future consequences C is unknown now but we can still have “knowledge” (justified beliefs) about C – if ‘true’ is required we can in practice never have knowledge about C.
In a specific risk assessment, risk is characterized by (C’,P,SoK,K), using the terminology from the curriculum. Is it possible to argue that (C’,P,SoK,K) expresses the analysts’
knowledge? Explain.
Yes, the risk assessment characterization (C’,P,SoK,K) captures the judgment (beliefs, data, information, argumentation, etc) of the assessors, so knowledge in wide sense. K captures some of this knowledge, but P (which expresses uncertainty about C’) and SoK also are beliefs and hence knowledge of the analysts.
Give an example how generic risk science can help or support climate change risk research and studies
Generic risk science knowledge can help the climate change risk research and studies, on how to characterize the risk (meaning of concepts, their interrelationship. For example on the understanding of probability, and relationship
between likelihood and SoK.
Think about the current climate change risk discussion.
Does the risk science tell us how we should deal with this risk? Explain. How can risk science be useful in this regard?
No, the risk science does not provide answers what are the best decisions, it does not take a stand on what we should do. The weight we give to uncertainties and risks are not scientific, but ethical, political …
It can still be useful as it provides support for how to think and generate a basis for making the decision. It helps us for example characterizing the climate change risk
