Aircraft skin is not very thick at all, yet air travel is the safest form of travel. All aviation professionals know why, but most occupants of an airliner are not professionals. How can it be explained to members of the general public that 1 mm is enough to:
Keep the air pressure in.
Keep the wings from breaking off.
Transport the passengers in greater safety than when they travel in their car.
I've used examples like "you can stand on a full beer can but not on an empty one". What are the secrets of aeroplane construction that makes such a seemingly flimsy construction so safe?
Update
How is a stressed skin construction explained to the general public? Lots of non-experts get quite alarmed when they are thinking of crushing a beer can.