How to Think Critically about Risk

March 27, 2017

Scott Parazynski, M.D., is the only astronaut to have summited Mt. Everest. His career in the space program and taste for adventure have taught him a few things about managing risk, a subject he lectured on at the 2017 Hinman Dental Meeting. In this clip, Parazynski, who is also the CEO of Fluidity Technologies, explains how to think critically when approaching a risky scenario.

Interview Transcript (Modified for Readability)

“Whenever we take ourselves to extreme environments, we have to really understand the threat to the human being as well as to the overall mission. If you can identify threats, you can either accept them as they stand, or try and leverage technology to increase your odds of success. I think back to the early days of Himalayan mountaineering, when they went with really crude wool coats and very crude boots. Now, we have these space-age materials that protect the human being even at these extreme altitudes with reliable oxygen delivery systems. It’s a world apart because we’ve thought really carefully about how we can address those issues.”