Thanks to the 'Who Has the Most to Fear: Man or Shark?' infograph, it can be determined that hot dogs kill 14 times more people on a yearly basis worldwide than sharks. This seems ridiculous of course, but the reason that shark attacks are always heard about is because they are so uncommon. So for the five shark attacks that kill people per year, almost all of them are widely reported, perpetuating the myth that sharks are the deadliest thing to fear in the ocean.
In the animal kingdom alone, leaving aside man's role in his own demise, mosquitoes are by far the greatest threat to humans as they can carry disease. Following those pesky insects are venomous snakes and scorpions that are easily stepped on, hippos that charge and massacre, and finally crocodiles that are easily disguised in swamp water. When you look at the Man or Shark information, the realization is simple: man causes far more damage to himself than any shark ever could.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Disproportionate Perception Trend
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create educational campaigns that bring awareness to the disproportionate fear and risk perception individuals have of rare events compared to more common threats.
- Misleading Statistics Trend
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop fact-checking tools or platforms that check and compare statistics with reliable sources and provide accurate context.
- Human Role in Self-destruction Trend
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop or invest in sustainable technologies and services to help mitigate human impacts on the environment and halt biodiversity loss.
Sectors Adopting This
- Education Industry
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop and market educational products and services that help individuals make more informed decisions based on accurate information.
- Publishing Industry
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop and market fact-checking tools or platforms to help journalists and writers provide accurate context and transparency in their reporting.
- Sustainable Technology Industry
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop green technologies and services to help reduce human impacts on the environment and protect biodiversity.
