10. Global risks receive less attention than small-scale risks

Consider the risk of a nuclear explosion in Washington. This is specific, vivid, and has received top-level attention from the United States government. Consider the risk of the creation of a suite of powerful new superviruses. This has received greatly less attention, though one risk only affects one city, whereas the other could be terminal to the entire planet. The impact of permanent termination of the human species is much greater than comparatively small individual risks, and deserves correspondingly greater attention, even though local risks may be more vivid.