Fluther: Without peeking first, can you draw the biohazard symbol?

Without peeking first, can you draw the biohazard symbol?

Asked by Jeruba (55824

) November 24th, 2020
18 responses
“Great Question” (1

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You know that symbol that appears on the disposal bins at the hospital or the doctor’s office, right?

Can you draw it from memory?

Make your attempt, and then look it up. Did you do it right? (Also mention if you work in a healthcare field and see it all the time in your workplace.)

I’m just asking out of curiosity. It’s not as simple as it looks.

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Topics: drawing, bicycles, symbols, warnings, visual memory

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Answers

Well, i remembered it was yellow and black and triangular. Not too bad.

anniereborn (15511

)“Great Answer” (4

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A certain group of heavy metal music fans will have a definite edge on answering this question, as there is a band named Biohazard that uses that symbol in their logos.

FutureMemory (24753

)“Great Answer” (3

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@anniereborn

That’s the radiation symbol.

Darth_Algar (18933

)“Great Answer” (2

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Oh, yeah, but I have had a lifetime of medical issues, so it is very familiar to me.

canidmajor (21228

)“Great Answer” (2

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This is a very quick drawing of the symbol from my memory. Not sure if it’s right…

Edit: just look it up and I was just 50% accurate :P

Mimishu1995 (23626

)“Great Answer” (1

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I had the radiation symbol in my mind too. And I work at a hospital. Shame on me.

chyna (51301

)“Great Answer” (2

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How’d I do?

Hamb (1370

)“Great Answer” (4

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I got the three main spokes right and that they each branched in two, but not which way the branches curved, the inner circle, nor the central gap.

Zaku (30353

)“Great Answer” (1

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Yes, but I never remember if black is at the top or yellow.

elbanditoroso (33146

)“Great Answer” (0

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From what some people are writing, I wonder how many people are thinking it’s the radiation symbol?

Zaku (30353

)“Great Answer” (0

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About 15 years ago my son lived in an apartment building. A young woman lived across the hall. One summery day, she was walking around wearing low-rise shorts that were all the rage at the time. As she was entering her apartment I looked over and noticed she had a yellow with black outline, bio-hazard symbol tattooed very low on her lower back.
I wonder if she regrets it now.

LuckyGuy (43689

)“Great Answer” (1

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Good point, @Zaku, and I think so. The one I’m talking about is on that little box outside the doctor’s office and the big bin behind the hospital where they deposit I-don’t-know-what for special pickup, but it isn’t radioactive.

@canidmajor, can you draw it from memory, though? Draw it, not just recognize it. That’s the question.

For purposes of this question, it’s just about the shape, not the color.

Jeruba (55824

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Yeah, I did before. The only thing I got wrong was the circle inside the horns was bigger than it should have been.

canidmajor (21228

)“Great Answer” (0

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What prompted the question is my own inability to draw it from memory. (No, I haven’t copied it while looking at it. That’s not a challenge.)

I think it’s a fascinating symbol in that it consists of simple, basic parts, uniquely joined, and with an appropriately alarming effect. I have sat in ERs and examining rooms and other medical spaces and looked at it and then, looking away, been unable to draw it correctly.

This is unusual for me. I have a strong visual memory and some drawing skill. I think that somehow the symbol transforms into a Gestalt in my head and I have trouble breaking it down into comppnents, like the famous interview question for engineers, “Can you draw a bicycle?”

Jeruba (55824

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