hard to swallow...

Today's lifestyle is something of a paradox. On the one hand we live in a climate of fear, constantly threatened by new diseases like SARS and vCJD, terrorism, crime, to name but a few; while on the other hand the human organism is constantly seeking new thrills to generate an adrenalin rush - crossing the oceans in ever less substantial craft, challenging the most extreme climates on earth, throwing itself out of aeroplanes strapped to a surfboard and jumping from enormous heights on the end of a large rubber band.

But although the world is an increasingly dangerous place, scientific opinion has come round to the view that if human beings had always been as cautious as they are now, we wouldn't be where we are today.

For example, as University of Pittsburgh professor Stuart Derbyshire pointed out to conference staged recently by online magazine Spiked, there would be no trains, as early observers suggested passengers travelling at 30mph would be sick. And supersonic travel would be ruled out as opinion at the time said breaking the sound barrier would be like 'hitting a brick wall in the sky'.

Furthermore, virtually all medicines that cause side-effects - and that includes nearly everything from Aspirin and antibiotics to the contraceptive pill and Zovirax, would not be available. Also out of the question would be life-saving or life-enhancing technologies such as organ transplants, open heart surgery, blood transfusions, biotechnology, IVF treatment and vaccines.

Some level of innate caution is necessary - after all, look what happened to the Dodo - but there is a huge price to pay for overcaution in terms of hindering innovation. If society is to continue to make progress, a significant element of risk-taking is unavoidable. And as the Chinese saying goes: 'If I worry about the future, will it change it?'