▁and ▁res ili ence ▁is ▁optimal ▁for ▁man aging ▁risk . ▁Ant icip ation ▁is ▁benef icial , ▁but ▁if ▁employed ▁as ▁the ▁sole ▁strategy ▁the ▁law ▁of ▁dimin ishing ▁returns ▁makes ▁it ▁un att ract ive , ▁imp ract ical , ▁impossible ▁and ▁even ▁counter ▁product ive ▁( it ▁cons umes ▁resources ▁better ▁spent ▁on ▁res ili ence ). ▁We ▁should ▁accept ▁to ▁live ▁with ▁small ▁acc idents ▁and ▁m ish aps ▁and ▁not ▁try ▁to ▁prevent ▁all ▁future ▁ha z ards . ▁He ▁argued ▁that ▁adding ▁safety ▁devices ▁to ▁nuclear ▁power ▁plants ▁beyond ▁a ▁certain ▁point ▁would ▁be ▁det r iment al ▁to ▁safety . ▁This ▁critique ▁is ▁a ▁fundamental ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁pre ca ution ary ▁principle . ▁▁ ▁The ▁question , ▁as ▁always , ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁proportion ▁( How ▁much ▁of ▁each ▁strategy ?) ▁and ▁relev ance ▁( What ▁kinds ▁of ▁d angers ▁des erve ▁the ▁different ▁strateg ies ? ), ▁and ▁ultimately , ▁given ▁uncertainty , ▁of ▁bias ▁( When ▁in ▁doubt , ▁which ▁strategy ▁should ▁receive ▁priority ? ). ▁... ▁Tri al ▁and ▁error ▁is ▁a ▁device ▁for ▁cour ting ▁small ▁d angers ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁avoid ▁or ▁less en ▁the ▁damage ▁from ▁big ▁ones . ▁Se qu ential ▁tri als ▁by ▁dispers ed ▁decision ▁mak ers ▁reduce ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁that ▁unknown ▁world ▁to ▁b ite - s ized , ▁and ▁hence ▁manage able , ▁ch unks . ▁An ▁advantage ▁of ▁trial ▁and ▁error , ▁therefore , ▁is ▁that ▁it ▁rend ers ▁visible ▁h ither