From STEVE TURNER
I should like to propose Clark Chapman of the Planetary Science Institute
in Tucson, Arizona, (‘Will we catch a falling star?’, 7 September) for the
Royal Statistical Society’s prize for ‘outstanding original contributions
to statistical theory or application’ (Feedback, same issue) for his estimation
that ‘people alive today have a 1 in 6000 risk of dying from an (asteroid)
impact, three times the risk of dying in a plane crash’ (1 in 20 000). I
wonder what effect these statistics will have on life insurance premiums.
Steve Turner ICI Chemicals and Polymers Middlesbrough, Cleveland
