Attempting to avoid all risk is a recipe for technological and economic stagnation, said speakers at the “Panic Attack: The New Precautionary Culture, the Politics of Fear, and the Risks to Innovation” conference.

The strongest versions of the precautionary principle demand that innovators prove that their inventions will never cause harm before they are allowed to deploy or sell them. In other words, if an action might cause harm, then inaction is preferable. The problem is that all new activities, especially those involving scientific research and technological innovation, always carry some risks. Attempting to avoid all risk is a recipe for technological and economic stagnation.