Discover the origins of Mr. Yuk, the iconic symbol for poisonous substances. Gillian Jacobs shares her love for Mr. Yuk, a hometown hero. Explore the challenges of designing warning symbols for future generations to communicate dangers like radiation. Learn about the evolution of symbols from pirates to radiation warnings.
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Quick takeaways
Mr. Yuk sticker symbolized danger to prevent child poisonings.
Efforts to warn future generations about radioactive waste storage challenges cultural, linguistic changes.
The Raycat Solution proposed using genetically engineered cats for radiation warning, emphasizing creative long-term message crafting.
Deep dives
Mr. Yuck: The Universal Symbol of Danger
Mr. Yuck, a neon green sticker symbolizing danger, was discussed at a Pittsburgh Poison Center to deter kids from ingesting harmful substances. With the face portraying disgust, Mr. Yuck aimed to prevent child poisonings. Parents would apply these stickers on toxic items as a warning. Created by Dr. Richard Moriarty in 1971, Mr. Yuck's effectiveness in preventing poisonings has been debated. The symbol aimed to raise awareness about poison control centers.
Designing a Warning for the Next 10,000 Years
Sandia National Laboratories convened a panel to tackle the challenge of warning future generations about the danger of storing radioactive waste for 10,000 years. Various proposed designs included symbols, narratives, and landscape alterations. The complexity of conveying a warning message for millennia raised questions about language and cultural context changes over time. The need for a durable, universally understood warning system for the distant future was highlighted.
The Raycat Solution: A Quirky Yet Effective Idea
The Raycat Solution, a whimsical proposal by Francois Bastide and Paolo Fabri, involved genetically engineering cats that change color in the presence of radiation. These cats would serve as a natural warning system for future generations, backed by an elaborate system of folklore and cultural communication. While the Raycat plan wasn't ultimately implemented, it exemplified creative thinking in crafting long-lasting warning messages.
Rethinking the Approach: Prioritizing Present Safety
Amidst discussions on creating long-lasting warning markers for nuclear waste storage, the tale of Talabast highlighted present-day environmental contaminations and their effects on communities. The debate shifted towards addressing current environmental injustices and ensuring the safety of present populations. Concerns arose about the effectiveness and practicality of designing warnings for distant future generations while immediate environmental hazards persist.
Lessons in Warning Design: Balancing Longevity and Practicality
The quest for designing warnings for the distant future underscored challenges in balancing longevity and practicality in conveying messages over millennia. While imaginative concepts like the Raycat Solution and elaborate symbolic markers surfaced, real-world environmental issues emphasized the importance of addressing present safety concerns. The ongoing dialogue on effective warning design highlighted the intricate balance between futuristic planning and addressing current environmental injustices.
Mr. Yuk is a neon green circular sticker with a cartoon face on it. His face is scrunched up with his eyes squeezed tight and his tongue is sticking out of its mouth. It's the face you make when you taste something disgusting. He's the pictorial embodiment of the sentiment of yuck. Aptly enough: he was designed to be the symbol for hazardous substances, aimed at deterring children from ingesting them. The idea what that if you saw a Mr. Yuk sticker on something around the house, it meant that that something was poison.
Friend of the show, Gillian Jacobs, is a BIG FAN of Mr Yuk, who turns out to be a hometown hero of her beloved Pittsburgh, and talked Roman through the origins of the mean, green face that was meant to save children from their worst impulses.
Plus, we revisit another story about warning symbols from our archive: the quest to find a symbol that would warn future humans of dangerous radiation 10,000 years in the future.