Probability and Risk

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http://understandinguncertainty.org The Winton programme for the public understanding of risk led by David Speigelhalter, based in the Statistical Laboratory in the University of Cambridge maintains this site on risk and probability. It includes a number of animations of risk scenarios, and discussions of key terms.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8019357.stm 'Choose the yum and risk the yuk?' short simple article by David Spiegelhalter on risk reporting and behaviour
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/course/statistics-110-probability/id502492375 Harvard Introduction to Probability (advanced) A complete course with 28 video lectures. Assumes competence in maths (e.g. knowledge of factorials, elementary set theory)
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chance/ Course material based on newspaper coverage of probability and risk. It includes a Wiki with regularly updated material showcasing usually atrocious reporting of risk and probability in the media, at: http://test.causeweb.org/wiki/chance/index.php/Main_Page
Red Meat scares In Spring 2012 a report sparked many stories in the press about the increased mortality risk associated with eating red meat. The press generally exaggerated the apparent risks as journalists typically failed to appreciate either the concept of relative risk or the distinction between mortality (risk of = 100%) and rates of mortality for defined groups of the population over time or the population as a whole at a point in time. It provides good teaching material for students. Here are some of the media reports: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17345967 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9138230/Red-meat-is-blamed-for-one-in-10-early-deaths.html http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/03march/Pages/red-meat-diet-death-risk.aspx http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2113986/Red-meat-early-death-study-Eating-regularly-increases-risk-death-heart-disease.html http://metro.co.uk/2012/03/12/bacon-sandwiches-and-fizzy-drinks-take-years-off-your-life-350083/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/mar/12/red-meat-death-heart-cancer http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4190319/Red-meat-kills.html
Here is David Speigelhalter's analysis of them: http://understandinguncertainty.org/what-does-13-increased-risk-death-mean
Some nice examples of coincidences or 'low probability events' http://www.csj.org/studyindex/studycrthk/study_pseddoscience/study_factcoincidence.htm