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This paper draws on diverse psychological, behavioural and numerical literature to understand some of the challenges we all face in making sense of large-scale phenomena and use this to create a road map for HCI responses. This body of knowledge offers tools and principles that can help HCI researchers deliver value now, but also highlights challenges for future HCI research. The paper is framed by looking at patterns and information that highlight some of the common misunderstandings that arise—not just for politicians and the general public but also for many in the academic community. This paper does not have all the answers to this, but we hope it provides some and, perhaps more importantly, raises questions that we need to address as scientific and technical communities.