Not according to Gerd Gigerenzer, the director of the Centre for Adaptive Behaviour and Cognition in Berlin (and author of 'Reckoning With Risk').
It's a debate that's given added resonance by constant questioning of the effectiveness of many medical procedures (such as cancer screening and the MMR vaccine) and the fact so many people are afraid to take commercial plane flights due to a perceived risk of terrorist attacks.
You can hear our discussion on this issue by clicking on the link to the right.
So just how accurately can YOU gauge risk?
Find out by answering the following multiple choice questions.
