The international symbol for panic

Who says the United Nations can't get things done? The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency—that's the body in a slow-motion confrontation with Iran—has just come out with a new radiation symbol. It seems the old symbol just wasn't scary enough.

[T]he traditional international symbol for radiation, the three cornered trefoil...has no intuitive meaning and little recognition beyond those educated in its significance. The new symbol is the result of a five-year project conducted in 11 countries around the world that included testing with different population groups - mixed ages, varying educational backgrounds, male and female - to ensure that its message of "danger - stay away" was crystal clear and understood by all.

With that pressing task out of the way, the decks are clear for the U.N. to tackle Iran's accelerating nuclear program.