 What's hot in risk science at the moment? Here are just five areas that will be on my personal radar this coming year one big data We've got really good at generating data mind numbing the huge amounts of it So much of it in fact that we're having to invent new ways of storing and handling it But assuming we don't drown in the coming data deluge Exciting new ways of working with massive amounts of interconnected data are beginning to revolutionize how we understand predict and manage risk to see health Okay, I made that one up. It stands for cloud health think eHealth, but way cooler ubiquitous sensors smart phones cloud computing and other technologies are coming together to transform how we collect and use information in ways that can reduce risk and increase well-being three responsible innovation Instead of inventing something and then spending the following decades trying to fix the unintended consequences Why not try to avoid future risks up front as well as being good for people's health in the environment? It also makes perfect business sense, which is why the science of risk is being used increasingly in the development of everything from advanced biotechnology to 3d printing for Hedology, okay another made a word this time from author Terry Pratchett Unfortunately, all the physics and chemistry and biology of risk is worthless without the Hedology of risk Understanding why people do what they do and using it to make the world a safer place Another way of putting it risk science without social science is dumb science five complex interactions The more we solve the obvious problems in risk science that man eats arsenic and dies kind of problems The more we realize that we've just scratched the surface of what affects our health and how Some of the most intriguing areas emerging in risk science involve the complex ways our bodies and our environment interact with each other And the ways these interactions affect our health So that's the risk bites roundup of cool stuff to look out for in 2013 don't forget to let me know of all the things I missed and have a safe and happy new year