Living detectors and complementary signs: cats, eyes, and sirens

Abstract

Abstract/Summary The article proposes that society should allow any information about the exact locations of radioactive waste repositories to be forgotten and to pass on to further generations only the knowledge about the fact that radioactive waste repositories do exist and about methods of radiation measurement. This is to prevent politically relevant knowledge from being exploited. A biological option is recommended for radiation measurement: in order to make nuclear radiation perceptible to humans, animals should be bred that react to radioactive irradiation with skin discoloration. This animal species should exist as part of the ecological niche of humans, and its role as a radiation detector should be anchored in cultural tradition by introducing a suitable name (e.g., ‘ray cat’) and by proverbs and myths. If someone unknowingly enters a radioactive waste repository, they shall be war-ned by iconic-indexical signs. A representation of a human body part (e.g., an ‘eye brea-king into pieces’) should serve as a visual signal and a siren powered by radiation ener-gy, whose volume and sound correspond to the intensity of radiation, should serve as an acoustic signal. However, the authors are skeptical about the likelihood that these signs will actually be understood by the addressees and accepted as a warning.