Monday 22 February, 11am-12noon (GMT)

The language used to describe phenomena is more than just a semantic issue – it can have real consequences in terms of action. The January 2021 events in the US, for example, highlight the importance of language in shaping behaviours which impact security.

Several terms used within public discourse around the broad area of ‘risk’ have multiple meanings and have the potential to generate confusion and misinformation. The word risk itself is often used to mean ‘consequence’ or ‘chance’ when its core meaning relates to the probability of an outcome arising from a particular activity. Both the probabilistic and consequence aspects of risk must be present if we are to discuss ‘measurable uncertainty’ in a meaningful way.

Join us as we explore the ambiguities and contradictions within the broad risk and security language landscape and the challenges that misuse of terms can create around understanding.

Facilitated by

Martin Smith MBE (info), Chairman & Founder, The SASIG

Presented by

Denis Fischbacher-Smith (info), Professor of Risk and Resilience, University of Glasgow