The video highlights the immediate risks that young adults in western countries can face, using statistical data to pinpoint what might be life-threatening in the coming week. It emphasizes that many daily routine activities, like driving, can pose significant dangers. The objective is to raise awareness and guide viewers to take precautions to potentially save their lives.

Driving emerges as the most dangerous activity, with factors like speeding, distracted driving, and not wearing seatbelts contributing significantly to fatal accidents. Other risky behaviors include alcohol consumption before driving and participating in extreme sports. The video also discusses lesser-known dangers like falling from heights and drowning.

Main takeaways from the video:

Please remember to turn on the CC button to view the subtitles.

Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. demographic [ˌdeməˈɡræfɪk] - (noun) - A sector or group of people with certain shared characteristics. - Synonyms: (population, cohort, group)

We based this video on statistics specifically for your demographic and our own estimates.

2. torpedo [tɔːrˈpiːdoʊ] - (noun) - A long cylindrical weapon that travels through water to hit a target. - Synonyms: (missile, projectile, weapon)

You're zooming through the world in a metal torpedo at the speed of a cheetah or faster in an average car.

3. reckless [ˈrekləs] - (adjective) - Heedless of danger or the consequences of one's actions. - Synonyms: (careless, heedless, imprudent)

It's one of the most reckless and dangerous things too many people do regularly, and it's easy to avoid.

4. sensationalist [senˈseɪʃənəlɪst] - (adjective) - Characterized by the use of sensationalism to provoke excitement or interest. - Synonyms: (exaggerated, dramatic, lurid)

This one is extremely sad and very delicate because sensationalist public discussion can make it worse.

5. hypothermia [ˌhaɪpoʊˈθɜːrmiə] - (noun) - A dangerous condition where the body temperature drops below normal. - Synonyms: (chilling, frostbite, exposure)

You'll go into the water drunk, especially dangerous because you're more reckless and even more likely to be overwhelmed by a cold, shock or hypothermia.

6. moderately [ˈmɒdərətli] - (adverb) - To a moderate extent; fairly. - Synonyms: (reasonably, somewhat, fairly)

Assume you are at best a moderately capable swimmer and you won't die.

7. intervention [ˌɪntərˈvenʃn] - (noun) - The action of becoming intentionally involved in a difficult situation, to alter the outcome. - Synonyms: (intervention, involvement, mediation)

Feelings can be mastered by getting professional help, for example, from a crisis intervention center.

8. melanoma [ˌmeləˈnoʊmə] - (noun) - A type of skin cancer that can be deadly if not treated early. - Synonyms: (skin cancer, malignancy, carcinoma)

At least one type of cancer, is almost entirely melanoma, or skin cancer.

9. nudge [nʌdʒ] - (noun) - A gentle push or encouragement to take action. - Synonyms: (prompt, prod, push)

If you needed a nudge to seize the day, this is it.

10. plasma [ˈplæzmə] - (noun) - A state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles is ionized. - Synonyms: (ionized gas, vapor, fluid)

The sun is a deadly laser. It's burning your skin with the energy released from trillions of tons of plasma.

This Video Might Save 58 Lives Next Week

Let's save your life today, not long term today, by specifically finding out what's most likely to kill you next week so you can actually avoid it. First, let's assume that 3 million people will watch this video and that you're all among our typical viewers. You're between the ages of 15 and 35 and you're living in western countries. We based this video on statistics specifically for your demographic and our own estimates. They're not perfect, but roughly correct. Don't worry, we might also save your life if you're older or live somewhere else.

OK, now let's gather all 3 million of you in 40 packed football stadiums. Look around. Most of you are teens and young adults. So much potential. Unfortunately, by the end of next week, 58 of you watching right now will not be alive anymore. 3,000 of you will sadly have passed in a year. That's one in 1,000 or not. Today we will save your. Yes, your life by looking at the avoidable ways you might die. We'll not cover long term things like diseases because we want to prevent your death next week. Your life consists of millions of micro decisions and some of you are on a path that will end soon. Can we guide you down a different path?

Humans are incredibly bad at judging the real risks of life. Bad things happen to people all the time. Because there are so many of us. And since the news focuses so much on freak accidents, we have a completely distorted picture of what actually poses a danger to us. For example, the chance any of you are going to die in a terror attack is below 0.0002%. There are super risky activities that are clearly insanely dangerous, like wingsuit flying. If all 3 million of you were to practice this sport, about 285 of you would die just next week.

Then there are are pretty dangerous. If all of you rode a motorcycle, 35 of you would not survive next week. If you don't want this kind of risk in your life, well, don't do these things. It turns out what's most likely to kill you next week are things that feel safe, that you do all the time, and are routine things you may even be really good at. This is what will prevent.

By far the most dangerous thing you're currently doing is driving. Eight of you will die in a car crash just next week. 416 of you over the next year. Mostly because most of you are not aware what driving really is. You're zooming through the world in a metal torpedo at the speed of a cheetah or faster in an average car that weighs one and a half tons at roughly 60 kilometers an hour, or 40 miles an hour, you have the mechanical energy of a piano dropped from the top of the Statue of Liberty. If you crash, this energy is released into your car and more importantly, your body.

30% of deadly car accidents are caused by speeding, mostly because you overestimate yourself. But that will kill two of you next week. It's very straightforward. If you go fast, you have less time to react and only notice the danger when it's too late. A lot of you watching tend to go over the speed limit regularly, which saves very little time. If Your destination is 20 minutes away at 100 kilometers an hour or 60 miles an hour. Driving 15 kilometers an hour or 10 miles an hour faster will save less than three minutes. But your probability of a deadly crash increases by 60%. So two of you may survive next week if you just tone down your speeding. This alone would eliminate the most dangerous activity in your life. Isn't this wild?

A close second is drinking alcohol and driving, causing 25% of deadly crashes in the next week. This will also kill two of you. You don't even need to feel drunk. You just have to have consumed enough to slow your reaction time. Even if you still feel completely in control, chances are high that you're not. Aside from being extremely illegal, it's one of the most reckless and dangerous things. Too many people do regularly, and it's easy to avoid. Just don't do it ever. Taking a cab after that work event next week, even if you only had two drinks, might save your life.

Just because you were distracted while driving, one of you will die next week. Maybe because you were eating or fumbling with the radio, but let's be real, probably because you were looking at your phone. If you drive at 60 kilometers an hour or 40 miles an hour and check your phone for just a moment, you've now crossed an entire football field completely blind. Stop doing this and you might survive next week.

Lastly, we want to have an especially frank word with the three of you that will die because you didn't wear a seatbelt. What an incredibly stupid way to die. Young way more of you will get into a car crash and be injured for all the same reasons. And of course, often the victims of crashes are not to blame at all. And many of you watching right now will end up hurting someone else. But you now know how to reduce the chances of this happening massively.

Let's move on to other deadly things that you can easily avoid. 26 of you will die by falling, or more precisely, by hitting the ground in the next year, which means one of you will die every two weeks. You'd think the danger of height was not as big of a deal, but it is. Going up ladders, working on scaffolding or on a roof and going hiking in nature is normal. But falling from a height of just 2 meters has about the same mechanical energy as a bowling ball dropped from a seven story building. You probably wouldn't want to be hit by it, and it only gets worse the higher you go.

For a fall from 5 meters, the height of a large ladder, the equivalent would be the energy of a bowling ball dropped from a 19 story building. But even just falling over can easily be fatal because your head is all the way at the top of your body. Another surprisingly dangerous thing is water. One of you will drown next week. Being in and around water is fun and doesn't seem to be a big deal, mainly for three reasons. You'll underestimate how dangerous a body of water is and be taken by strong currents or riptides. You'll overestimate your swimming abilities. You're most likely a much worse swimmer than you think, or also sadly common. You'll go into the water drunk, especially dangerous because you're more reckless and even more likely to be overwhelmed by a cold, shock or hypothermia.

Harmless situations around water turn deadly so quickly that in the U.S. drowning is the second most common cause of death by accident for kids after, you may have guessed it, car crashes. So if you're going for a swim next week, keep this in mind. Make sure that the water is safe. Assume you are at best a mediocre swimmer and you won't die. Also, for the love of God, be careful on cruise ships. If you go overboard, you have a 60% chance of dying.

Let's move on to the thing that will kill the most. People watching this video. This one is extremely sad and very delicate because sensationalist public discussion can make it worse. It's harming yourself. Statistically, about 10 of you could die this way next week. There's something that you might not be aware of that might save your life. The majority of these deaths happen in crisis situations, usually triggered by traumatic events and extraordinary circumstances that overwhelm people and undermine their coping strategies.

Studies show that suicide rarely occurs out of the blue. There are warning signs and often suicidal thoughts. Feelings can be mastered by getting professional help, for example from a crisis intervention center. Most people who survive an attempt don't try again and end up Being very glad that they did survive. It was just way too much for them and they felt desperate and as if there was no way out. It would be so, so nice if someone watching this who's in a bad spot decides to get help. You matter. You really do. And the world is better with you in it. Please stay with us.

If you currently feel overwhelmed by life, seeking help is not weakness, it's strength. We've put some resources for you in the video description. This also means another thing. If you have someone in your life going through a crisis, withdrawing, expressing hopelessness, or talking about this topic, even jokingly, take it seriously. Show them that they're loved and important. You personally could save a life. Maybe next week already. You might never know. But worst case, you've been a true friend.

Now for the final thing. And to be honest, this will not save your life next week, but maybe this year. Cancer is sadly a real risk even for your age group, and will kill five of you next week. The most common being thyroid, breast and testicular cancer. The author of this video had cancer at the age of 32. If he'd been aware of this risk and went to regular checkups, this could have been entirely avoided. So this is also a personal, heartfelt recommendation. We collected a few resources about screenings and self checkups in our sources for you. Check them out.

At least one type of cancer is almost entirely melanoma, or skin cancer. You might be surprised how deadly this is, but as a great philosopher said, the sun is a deadly laser. It's burning your skin with the energy released from trillions of tons of plasma. The solution couldn't be simpler. Use sunscreen. It's been a while or you've been in the water. Cool. Apply it again. About nine of you will die of melanoma in the next year, so sunscreen might save your life.

Okay, let's wrap up. Just by being more aware and modifying your behavior a little bit, you personally could survive next week. Dozens of all of you watching right now, hundreds of you this year. Hopefully you'll be able to tell us stories in the next few years of situations that almost turned really bad but didn't because you behaved differently. And if you have people in your life that do or don't do the things we talked about today, please send them this video. It might save their lives too. Life is just the best thing, and we hope to celebrate it together for as long as possible. If you needed a nudge to seize the day, this is it. Start doing the things you want to do today. Run that marathon, write that novel, or become the smartest version of yourself.

Education, Global, Science, Safety, Health Risks, Young Adults, Kurzgesagt – In A Nutshell