Emotions and Risky TechnologiesAcceptable Risk On the Rationality (and Irrationality) of Emotional Evaluations of Risk What is acceptable risk? That question is appropriate in a number of different contexts, political, social, ethical, and scienti c. Thus the question might be whether the voting public will support a risky proposal or project, whether people will buy or accept a risky product, whether it is morally permissible to pursue this or that potentially harmful venture, or