20 August 2004

Thunderstorm over Denver (Gallery, 13 August 2004)

Forrest,

Great cumulonimbus shot!

Peggy LeMone, Chief Scientist, The GLOBE Program

Forrest,

That's an awesome photo!

Lin Chambers, Principal Investigator, GLOBE Contrail Protocol

Drs. LeMone and Chambers were at the annual GLOBE meeting in Boulder, Colorado. The cumulonimbus that appeared in Gallery formed over Denver while the GLOBE attendees watched from an overlook at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Editor.

From Puzzle 'Toons creator Brian Mansfield

Forrest,

I saw that Shawn Carlson made an attempt at last week's symbolic cryptogram puzzle [Puzzle 'Toon, The Citizen Scientist, 06 August 2004]. His answer is acceptable to me. I gave a very similar answer to the puzzle in last week's Puzzle 'Toon [13 August 2004]. It could be a difference in translation (if this quote was first muttered in a foreign language) or it could be the sometimes ambiguous nature of symbols.

Something that I do as a mild mannered software engineer during the day is come up with the pictures and symbols seen on our user interface on the software I help write. It is always fascinating to me to see our users' sometimes perplexed reaction to the symbols. I've found many reasons for this:

1. Regional. Certain symbols are used in certain areas and not in others. Last year while traveling in Canada, I found the signs with the question mark on them very funny. These signs do not mean the Riddler had been sighted, but rather a tourist information building is nearby.

2. Cultural. I've read a fascinating book by Henry Dreyfuss called "The Symbol Sourcebook." Dreyfuss relates a story of a series of symbols used to show mining workers they should pick up rocks on the tracks and wheel them out of the mine. Management was surprised to find that an increase in the number of rocks on the tracks was reported. This was due to the workers reading the symbols right to left rather than left to right.

3. Physical. I have a color blind friend who was confused by the red arrow used on a horizontal traffic stop light while driving in Kentucky. (This, I am told, is a very controversial street sign.) After avoiding death, we realized that he did not see the red color properly and the arrow told him to go.

I am certain there are other reasons for the ambiguity of symbols and that, I am sure, is something that will continue to fascinate me.

Thanks,

Brian Mansfield

Thanks for this insight into one of your Puzzle 'Toons, Brian. What fascinates the readers of The Citizen Scientist is your incredibly creative mind and your unique ability to visually depict the puzzles that originate there. Editor.