New Radiation Logo Actually Warns Of Space Monsters
After many years of research around the world, the International Atomic Energy Agency has revealed the new global warning for ionizing radiation: a terrifying scene of an alien spaceship shooting death rays at a pirate flag and stick figure.
Learn about the terrible fate of mankind, after the jump.
The message of the new logo is clear: Do not trust the space monsters.
It's also supposed to mean "stay away from this harmful radiation source," because interviews with people killed by radiation showed that they didn't really know what the traditional radioactive warning sign actually meant. Also, radioactive crap will still be radioactive thousands of years from now, so the logos need to still make sense to the cavemen of the future.
But will this combination of a skull & bones, that same old radiation logo, little wiggly lines and the universal "fire escape" symbol actually convey the message to people or robots of the future? Probably not!
The reason? Death and danger symbols have always been used by people burying treasure -- whether Caribbean pirates, the Knights Templar or kids digging holes in the backyard. The skull & crossbones is basically the universal code for "something awesome is in here." So the doomed people of the future (if there are any) will see this on the side of a rusting X-Ray machine or Yucca Mountain or whatever and say to themselves in the new telepathic language, "It's the hidden treasure!"
New Symbol Launched to Warn Public About Radiation Dangers [IAEA]