Doesn’t the IAEA Have More Important Things To Do…

Posted on February 19, 2007 by mikethemadbiologist

newradwarning1
What the hell is this?
…than develop a new radiation warning symbol? According to the IAEA, the old symbol had “no intuitive meaning and little recognition beyond those educated in its significance.” OK, then. But I’m going to miss this guy:


Radiation symbol 2 J

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16 Responses to Doesn’t the IAEA Have More Important Things To Do…

  1. John McKay says:
    February 19, 2007 at 5:20 pm

    And anyone who sees the new sign will immediately understand that if you leave the foot-warming vent in your car open it will lead to pirates and running men.

  2. John McKay says:
    February 19, 2007 at 5:21 pm

    My mistake. Make that toothless pirates and running men.

  3. Bubba says:
    February 19, 2007 at 5:27 pm

    Oh! No!! I think I have one of those!!! on my Weber Grill!!!! On my back porch!!!!! Run Away!!!!!

  4. llewelly says:
    February 19, 2007 at 9:27 pm

    So the best response to radiation is to turn right, and run.

    Despite the potential to get the wrong impression from the direction of the arrow, I like the new sign better.

  5. Joshua says:
    February 19, 2007 at 9:27 pm

    That’s ridiculous. Who doesn’t know what the original radiation symbol means? The key is that it’s really simple. This new one is too complicated. It doesn’t have any obvious meaning, either. It’s open to interpretation, e.g. what John McKay said. 😉
    It also contains the poison symbol on it, which is confusing. Radiation is not poison! It behaves totally differently. What if somebody sees the new symbol and thinks, “Oh, it’s poison. Well, as long as I don’t eat it I should be fine.”
    Bah!

  6. Janne says:
    February 19, 2007 at 9:48 pm

    Black and yellow is universally recognized as danger. Yellow and red likewise. But black and red is not. Also, this sign presupposes “reading” the sign, not just see a symbol. Methinks someone’s “very talented, really, but the job market is hard right now” niece got themselves a lucrative design contract…

  7. Alex says:
    February 20, 2007 at 5:40 am

    I think the new sign isn’t as elegant as the original, but it does convey the best course of action to take. After all, intensity changes with the inverse square of the distance.

  8. Janne says:
    February 20, 2007 at 8:36 am

    Alex, and what if you can’t run to the right as the sign says you should?

  9. BlueCollarScientist says:
    February 20, 2007 at 2:08 pm

    Does the sign mean I’m supposed to run away, or bad things will happen to me if I do run away?
    I spent at least 20 seconds thinking about this before reading the text and learning what this sign was all about.

  10. KeithB says:
    February 20, 2007 at 6:24 pm

    And how do you know *when* to run? When you see squiggly arrows flying through the air?

  11. Anderebu says:
    August 26, 2007 at 10:48 am

    I know I’m a bit late to comment on this, but in other words the sign is telling me to stand there and be killed by squiggly lines or run and bash my skull into a black line at the end of a triangle.

  12. Niveus_Leo says:
    August 26, 2007 at 7:09 pm

    No No No Its Obviosly an alien death ray and you should run away to right looking over your shoulder liek the idiots in the movies i cant belive none of you can see that!

  13. Coin says:
    August 27, 2007 at 12:12 am

    What that sign says to me is
    I AM SINISTAR
    RUN, COWARD
    RUN
    RUN

  14. Phildor says:
    August 29, 2007 at 10:56 am

    One teeny little contradiction I’d like to point out:
    The (apparently) obscure and unknown old radiation symbol… is still prominently featured on this new symbol… accompanied by a man running from pirates.

  15. Phildor says:
    August 29, 2007 at 10:59 am

    Ignore that previous statement. I just figured out what the symbol really means.
    It’s a public service announcement against ultraviolet rays.
    Basically, it’s saying that if you jog or are a pirate (as both activities usually require you to be outdoors), you should wear sunglasses to protect yourself form UV radiation.

  16. Andrew says:
    January 1, 2008 at 5:04 pm

    Who cares! If you just look at the sign it tells you that there is something bad around. Who cares anyway if which way you run (except for running into it) Neither signs are helpful though.

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