If any, or all, of these things worry you, take heart from the fact that you're not alone. People in different countries might fear different things (the Danes apparently worry most about nuclear power, the British about terrorist attacks, the Italians about radiation from their beloved mobile phones), yet anxiety is everywhere a condition of modern life. But why? It's perfectly clear we are living longer, safer and more healthy lives than any generation before us. Standards of living continue to rise inexorably across the western world, and even the major challenge of global warming has been recognized and is being tackled.