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What are the British afraid of this week? I have the answers

I have before me Eurobarometer research on attitudes to electromagnetic fields,  and the extended data set asks about things that might affect one's health, and number one - with a bullet - is 'chemicals', with some 83% deeming them a threat to health.   Well, indeed, I would not want to be inhaling deeply near a vat of battery acid, but it does seem a rather vague thing to be anxious about.  At the other end of the scale, some 41% are concerned about household electrical equipment.  Over-exposure to certain journalists on the Today programme hoiks my blood pressure and I've tripped over power leads before, but I cannot say I lay awake fearing the Rise of the Machines.

Anyway, the full UK findings:


Meanwhile, there is a rather good Woody Allen sketch on misbehaving electricals:


(No visuals, alas, but it doesn't need them)

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Blogger John M Ward said... 4:53 pm

Oh, I very much like Magnetic Fields...  



Blogger J Bonington Jagworth said... 8:11 am

I can't help feeling that those things are skewed a bit by being the result of interviews with people who don't mind answering idiotic questions.

I've occasionally agreed to telephone surveys about customer satisfaction, but inevitably start arguing about the phrasing of questions, especially when my bank wanted to know how their call centre had performed, but only wanted to hear about the first person I spoke to, when it was the second one who gave me all the grief!

I know what you mean about the Today programme, though...  



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