Vending Machine More Hazardous Than Sharks

Question

This claim has been proven to be true. This website starts off with the quote, "the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is the unknown" by H.P. Lovecraft. Diving into the meaning of this, sharks are not as dangerous as people may think, we are just scared of the unknown. According to the website, the number of fatalities from sharks worldwide is between 4-6 a year, not what you would expect. This correlates to a 1 in 250 million chance of dying from a shark. On the other hand, with evidence, the chances of getting killed from a vending machine is 1 in 112 million. Many other sources including World Wildlife Fund, Georgia Aquarium and the National Science Foundation, also state the truth about sharks and how they are stereotyped. Even though the article doesn't go into much detail about the vending machine situation other than the proven statistic, it also shows a chart of how many different insignificant things are more likely to kill you than a shark attack. these include fireworks, drowning, and excessive cold. Overall, this statement is true and can be proven correct by many primary and secondary sources.

Answer 1

From what I can see, this seems credible, considering the stats on vending machines vs. sharks are actually a known thing. It sounds crazy, but the numbers about the "fear of the unknown" and the odds of death really do back it up.

Sources:

• Vending Machines More Hazardous Than Sharks (Heal the Bay)

• Risk of Death Comparison (International Shark Attack File)

Answer 2

After checking this claim, saying that vending machines are more hazardous than sharks is misleading. Vending machines indeed cause more recorded human deaths per year than shark attacks, mostly due to accidents where machines tip over, while shark fatalities are extremely rare. However, the comparison exaggerates risk by ignoring context—people interact with vending machines daily, while shark encounters are uncommon and usually avoidable. The claim uses a surprising statistic to grab attention, but oversimplifies how risk actually works. This is because it’s technically based on real numbers but framed in a way that can mislead people about actual danger.

Sources: International Shark Attack File (Florida Museum): https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/

Consumer Product Safety Commission (vending machine injuries): https://www.cpsc.gov