Rad sign
Propeller, Jolly Roger, "this way to the exit"… what to make of all this?
The atomic boffins seem to think that overcrowding the radiation warning sign with symbols is enough to drive its’ message across. New Scientist reports:
The IAEA tested [the new symbol] in 11 countries. "It means stop, run away," says MacKenzie. "Most people got the message."
Of course, kids will probably always be curious and up to mischief, no matter what the IAEA doodles on a red triangle:
When the IAEA tested the original radiating "trefoil" symbol at an international school, it found that many children mistook the trefoil for a non-threatening propeller.
So, what to do, you say? Gee, I don’t know, Dick; maybe stop dumping irradiated and radioactive waste in populated areas? Maybe stop planning to solve your energy problem by building more nuke factories until you figure out how to dispose of the waste?
Fat chance of that happening, though, as developed countries are exporting hazardous wastes to greedy developing clients and overflowing their own cups with rad juices; a host of countries around the globe are headlessly gearing up for fission again; and even longtime green gurus are being used to peddle the "green nuke" idea…
