The UN's new international radiation symbol

Seriously, this is what the UN, the ISO, and the IAEA came up with. Should we take it to mean you can run but can't hide from deadly, deadly radiation? (Better start using that Geiger watch again.) Look for this emblem on a cellphone, CRT monitor, or gauss gun near you.

[Via bookofjoe]

[ByronGman @ Feb 18th 2007 1:42PM]

If only there had been one of those on the Lambada Core....

How many innocent alien lives could have been saved?

[John @ Feb 19th 2007 7:12PM]

I'm confused about the aliens/Lambada remark. Were the aliens killed while taking dance lessons?

[fsda @ Feb 18th 2007 1:52PM]

"When someone throws shit on the fan, run from the skulls"

[Richard Lai @ Feb 18th 2007 2:02PM]

The way I see the sign: there's a massive fan high up on the wall, blowing in hot, smelly gas that chases after you and the skull (?).

[Kirk @ Feb 18th 2007 2:11PM]

They should have this sign up after I eat Taco Bell!

[Dr Buzz0 @ Feb 18th 2007 2:27PM]

GAA! Once again, Engadget has shown they cannot tell the difference between nuclear/ionizing radiation and non-ionizing/RF radiation.

Let me try to help:

Trefoil (the thing that looks a bit like a fan or a tape reel):

Nuclear reactors
Nuclear bombs
Radioactive isotopes (Sr-90, Cs-137, Ra-226)
Cosmic Rays
Particle Accelerators
X-Ray Machines


RF radiation or electromagnetic fields:

Radio and wireless communications
Radar
Microwave ovens
Microwave imaging
Uplink Satellite Dishes
Magnetrons
High frequency, high impedance electronics

These are NOT denoted by the trifoil. The symbol shows the outline of an antenna can can be seen here: http://beradio.com/media/0505/505br1108.jpg
Or here http://www.gaijin.com/images/journal/gallery/rf-hazard-00.12.03.jpg


You would NEVER put the trefoil on any radio equipment.

Also, low-frequency electromagnetic fields or DC fields, such as those produced by MRI machines are symbolized differently, usually with a picture of a magnet.

Please get this right. Every time I see the nuclear radiation symbol on a cell phone it makes my skin crawl!

[Ryan Block @ Feb 18th 2007 2:33PM]

Ha. You may be right, but it was a joke!

[John Doe @ Feb 18th 2007 9:44PM]

Buzz. Let me introduce you to the concept of the joke.

[Ken @ Feb 20th 2007 12:03PM]

LOL you referenced a site named "gaijin" LOL

Not saying anything against you, but I thought it was funny.

[Max @ Feb 18th 2007 2:27PM]

Quick, run away from the sperms and the skull!

[CnEY?! @ Feb 18th 2007 2:32PM]

Is it just me, or does it seem like this image would work even better for a "wear sunscreen" campaign?

SUN + RAYS = ZOMG SKIN CANCER DEATH RUN!!!

[Wireless Buddy @ Feb 18th 2007 2:39PM]

are we running from the skull or the things coming off the radiation symbol

[Mp3 @ Feb 18th 2007 2:41PM]

They should make one symbol for all the bad stuff... poison, radioactivity, biohazard... really, who cares? All I need to know is "bad stuff here" and I'm out.

[andy @ Mar 1st 2007 10:31PM]

"They should make one symbol for all the bad stuff... poison, radioactivity, biohazard... really, who cares? All I need to know is "bad stuff here" and I'm out."

they do:
this
http://www.donoharm.org.uk/alert/images/danger.jpg
this
http://www.health-safety-signs.uk.com/productimages/Caution-outdoor-sign.gif
or anything else in a yellow triangle.

[Mp3 @ Feb 18th 2007 2:41PM]

And Dr Buzz0, are you saying that the time I put my hamster in the microwave, I actually did not ionize him? Damn, now I have to redo the entire experiment. Do you happen to know where I can get some Sr-90?

[AB @ Feb 18th 2007 2:44PM]

When ever you see a skull or a fan, always run towards your right :P

[LittleJoe @ Feb 18th 2007 2:52PM]

Why does he have one round hand and one square hand?

[Alex @ Feb 20th 2007 7:42AM]

Ones a gauss gun.

[Muneer @ Feb 18th 2007 3:08PM]

gj taking a joke Dr Buzz0. Once again, you have shown you are not familiar with Engadget's editorial style. :D

[Foof @ Feb 20th 2007 2:34PM]

I think everyone is the loser in this thread.

[TrafficGeek @ Feb 18th 2007 3:25PM]

Let me try to understand this:
If you see a mass of squiqqly lines are coming towards you, run perpendicular to them. Whether you choose left or right depends on which side the zombies are coming from.

Choose to run in a direction that is both perpendicular to the squiqqly lines and away from the zombies.

Would this work for the robot revolutions too? Perhaps if we replace the skull and cross-bones with a PS3 slinging BlueRay disk of death...

[Jon �slund @ Feb 18th 2007 3:28PM]

This made me think of Anders Sandberg's warning signs for tomorrow. They actually look quite nice, but doesn't have the same edge like this one, that makes you want to run away from laughing skulls.

http://www.aleph.se/andart/archives/2006/10/warning_signs_for_tomorrow.html

[Ryan @ Feb 18th 2007 3:35PM]

deadly radiation commin in beams of light will kill the guy to your left only if you run to your right...?

thats the message im getting from this...kinda fu..ed up...

[whiskey @ Feb 18th 2007 4:26PM]

Commies died because of "Nukulear" Radiation, Don't be liberal, run to the right.

[Demaar @ Feb 18th 2007 5:18PM]

Only Pirates are cool enough to handle the YOO-VEEZ from sun-tanning. If you are not a pirate, run for it.

[Grayswandir @ Feb 18th 2007 5:44PM]

Very good article on the need to come up with a new "radiation danger" symbol:
http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=160

[eight @ Feb 18th 2007 8:16PM]

but do i run to my right of my left? because the sign points right but hte guy is running to his left... i just dont want to get it wrong when the gigantic skulls invade spewing their sperm from above.

Seriously though, THIS is the "symbol" they came up with? It's more of a 3 panel comic if anything and, as the comments have shown, easily interrupted as anything. I thought the idea of changing the symbol would be so it was easier. But it seems burocracy as once again made things more complicated.

I dont see too much wrong with the origional one. Just as with any symbol it needs to be explained, but once you learn it you've got it in your brain forever with out an explination. Having to relarn a symbol that really needs to be read is bad practice.

[deepdarksee @ Feb 18th 2007 8:26PM]

Look at it from the point view of someone coming across it 1000 years from now, and no assumption about language. It works.

[ksj @ Feb 18th 2007 8:44PM]

I think that's mostly just strange. Not an improvement. Thumbs down!

[Bobby @ Feb 18th 2007 9:00PM]

So... the UN took time coming up with a clever new radiation symbol, and in the end all they did was take a skull, a nuclear sign, and a wet floor stick figure and put them in a triangle. Excellent.

They should learn to put 5 second looping clips as signs. Then just have a loop of toddlers on fire, running from a mushroom cloud.

[Ghoti @ Feb 18th 2007 10:07PM]

I looked at that and saw, "One does not simply walk into Mordor."

:)

-Ghoti

[Mickey Jones @ Feb 18th 2007 10:12PM]

No no,

It's when the sperm fly from the fan, run to the right, away from the pirates.

[Nick Gold @ Feb 19th 2007 12:24AM]

RUN AWAY FROM RADISKULL!!!

[KiL @ Feb 19th 2007 1:11AM]

As a typographer I can say: Mission failed.

This sign is far too complex and it isn't working at all. Anyone who knows the radiation symbol with the three "rays" would know enough by just looking at the much simpler symbol. Anyone who doesn't know the radiation symbol is just as lost as looking at the symbol only.

So some poor 3rd world guy looking at the sign might intepret this as when the fan starts blowing flee from the giant skull to the right...

[Dr Buzz0 @ Feb 19th 2007 1:45AM]

MP3: No sorry, the microwave will not effect ionization. However, I can get you Sr-90, if you are interested. It's $75 for a .1 uCi sample, which is less than a nanogram and is embedded in a plastic disk or a needle source. You can buy up to 10 of them without a license. Any more than that you will have to stager the order. However, you are going to be limited in the total number, depending on your state and NRC regulations. I am afraid if you want more than 20 I will need to call the NRC for approval for that.

[Kazuya @ Feb 19th 2007 5:09AM]

Pretty sure a yellow symbol with the words ZOMG would be enough to indicate danger.

Why exactly do danger symbols have instructions on them now? Are we really that stupid?

[Demando @ Feb 19th 2007 8:11AM]

"Why does he have one round hand and one square hand?"

[LC @ Feb 19th 2007 9:50AM]

The bottom half of the sign should be AOL's new log on symbol. That way they can let people know what they are in for.

[davidhorm @ Feb 19th 2007 1:46PM]

i agree with deepdarksee.

don't you guys remember this: http://digg.com/general_sciences/How_to_Warn_500_Generations_of_Nuclear_Waste_

We still need to warn the aliens that take over our world that this stuff is deadly (to us at least).

[Miguel @ Feb 19th 2007 2:28PM]

'Cause the circle and sections wasn't globally recognizable already...

What a waste.

[N5PRE @ Feb 20th 2007 7:55PM]

Did you see the Japanese Version of this new sign?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kt/395457657/