Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [safety]

The balance of benefit versus harm of an activity, device, technology or substance.

158 questions
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Does fastening airplane seatbelts reduce the risk of death and injury?

The FAA states To keep you and your family as safe as possible during flight, FAA regulations require passengers to be seated with their seat belts fastened: When the airplane leaves the gate and as it climbs after take-off. During landing…
user17967
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Does the 'two-second rule' provide a valid minimum gap for safe driving?

Most of us will have been taught the two-second rule when learning to drive. The two-second rule is a rule of thumb by which a driver may maintain a safe following distance at any speed. The rule is that a driver should ideally stay at least two…
Mark Booth
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Does cutting paper dull a knife quickly?

This question is a follow-up to "How to test the sharpness of a knife?", my answer to it, and the comments my answer generated. Charlie Brumbaugh wanted to know how to tell when he is done when honing his knife, I suggested testing by slicing…
cobaltduck
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Has anyone died from tampered candy at Halloween?

Year after year parents are bombarded with all of the risks of trick or treating. Razor blades in apples, poisoned candy, etc. Even the CDC warns against eating anything homemade or before a parent has inspected it. With all the hype of what could…
Russell Steen
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Do cars pass with less space for bicyclists who wear helmets?

This question is an off-shoot of from the discussion about helmet safety. There is an assertion that when a car passes a bicycle, it allows less space to those who wear a helmet than those without. While this is metric is only one part of the larger…
Wai Yip Tung
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5 answers

Are there fewer accidental deaths at nuclear power plants than others?

I have seen the stats on this website saying that the number of death caused by nuclear accidents was way smaller then those caused by any other energy production factory. Do you have any information, studies that can confirm that? And numbers for…
Zenon
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Is there a risk of drowning if you fall asleep in the bath?

Are there any documented events of people drowning in slippery baths after falling asleep? I've tried to Google it but wasn't able to find anything. Probably just used wrong terms, or maybe there were no such accidents. I'm asking it because I…
user288
28
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2 answers

Will sticking a knife into a toaster electrocute me?

As a child, do you remember being told not to stick metal utensils into the toaster to unlodge toast? If by chance that utensil touches the wrong thing inside of the toaster, you could be easily electrocuted. Are there really exposed components…
George
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Are chemicals used to ripen fruit in developing countries harmful to the health of consumers?

Note: there are some answers to this question on Chemistry.SE, but I prefer a sceptical approach here. I ask this question in connection with a post on Facebook (in Indonesia), which asked: Hi everyone, I bought some mangoes today and the seller…
thelawnet
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Can defrosting vacuum-packed fish in its packaging cause botulism?

There are many warnings on the Internet about vacuum-sealed frozen fish thawed in its packaging potentially causing botulism: Why You Should Never Thaw Frozen Fish in Its Vacuum-Sealed Packaging There's a lot to love about individually wrapped…
lambshaanxy
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Does the TSA have a fail rate of 95% in breach tests?

Does the TSA fail at a rate of 95% at detecting (fake, "test") terrorists in breach tests, as reported in this news story? The best information that I have about this is a news report. Is there any official source confirming it?
Quora Feans
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Does the establishment of a legal upper speed limit on highways lead to a reduction in traffic deaths and accidents?

The conventional wisdom is that established speed limits lead to an increase in safety. Speed limits are usually set to attempt to cap road traffic speed; there are several reasons for wanting to do this. It is often done with an intention to…
Mauser
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Is it dangerous to use a gas range for heating?

According to the CDC, you should "NEVER use a gas range for heating". Never use a gas range or oven for heating. Using a gas range or oven for heating can cause a build up of CO inside your home, cabin, or camper. Is this valid advice though? Is…
Evan Carroll
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Does home-WiFi expose you to less radiation than using the 3G on your cell-phone?

Are there any studies that compare WiFi and cellular data usage, in the home, over time? Mainly I've heard that WiFi uses more battery (so it should emit more radiation) but OTOH it feels like 3G/cellular needs to use higher power to reach the…
Macke
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Are safety belts in planes meant for safety?

I was travelling by air today, and I realized that there's an important difference between safety belts in cars and planes. A safety belt in a car moves from the chest on one side to the hip on the other side, while safety belts in a plane move from…
apoorv020
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