The Human Nature of Lunar Dust Risk
Understanding the risks posed by lunar dust to human exploration is a complex challenge that extends beyond technical concerns. In this presentation, Torin McCoy talks about how the human element—risk communication and perception—complicates efforts to manage these hazards. McCoy provides insights into lunar dust challenges while exploring the often-undervalued concepts of balance, credibility, and discernment. These ideas, essential to NASA’s work, resonate equally in our daily lives, offering lessons for a post-COVID world where effective risk communication is more critical than ever.
Mr. McCoy has spent decades exploring how hazards impact human health and performance. Initially focused on soil contamination on Earth, his career took a celestial turn when he joined NASA in 2003. At Johnson Space Center, Mr. McCoy became fascinated by the history and challenges of lunar dust and its risks to human exploration. His work has highlighted the intricate ways individuals and organizations process risk-related information and the importance of balance, credibility, and trust in decision-making processes.
Torin McCoy is a scientist and exploration integration leader at NASA’s Human Health and Performance Directorate. He’s a Texas native who went to Texas A&M and Clemson University. He started his career working for the Texas environmental agency, where he studied contaminants in the food chain and dealt with hazardous waste at Superfund sites.
When he’s not working, Mr. McCoy loves spending time with his wife of 32 years and their two grown kids. He’s an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, studying trees, exploring Indian artifacts, and learning about history.
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