Excellent article Deek Thompson.

We are generally not good at managing risk. Much of this is because we have not learnt to quantify it and so it (and even science as you say) all becomes a jumble. Instead of thinking in probabilties, we think in absolute terms that (in your subway example) can become unhelpful and very costly (and depriving better alternatives). Another big time contributor to sorting out what really matters, is that the anocdotal is constantly confused with facts. The two are partners but absolutely MUST be keep separate -- good newspapers strive to make clear what is opinion and what is reporting.

What do we do though? Well, you can keep writing and Tony Fauci can keep repeating himself in front of the cameras.

I come from New Zealand. And, they do better (don't ask me to substantiate this) perhaps because they are generally more grounded in mathematics where logic is learnt.

Many thanks