Mr. Yuk
99% Invisible30 Apr 2024

Mr. Yuk

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.

Mr. Yuk

Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early.

Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episoder(780)

Service Request #1: What Happens When I Call 311?

Service Request #1: What Happens When I Call 311?

The surprising power of a simple phone number to connect a community. What infrastructure mystery keeps you up at night? Submit your Service Request by recording a voice memo with your question and em...

17 Mar 34min

A Man, a Plan, a Canal—Mars!

A Man, a Plan, a Canal—Mars!

How one wealthy, amateur astronomer convinced the world Martians were real. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free tria...

10 Mar 32min

Where the F*** Are We?

Where the F*** Are We?

For centuries, the world's greatest minds were stumped by the deadly mystery of longitude, until an obsessive underdog entered the fray and changed navigation forever. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ ...

3 Mar 47min

Constitution Breakdown #7: California AG Rob Bonta

Constitution Breakdown #7: California AG Rob Bonta

This is the seventh episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article IV, which outlines the relationship between states and between st...

27 Feb 1h 17min

The Longest Fence in the World

The Longest Fence in the World

How a fence meant to protect sheep transformed the entire Australian landscape. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free ...

24 Feb 31min

Molar City

Molar City

How a small Mexican border town transformed itself into the dental tourism capital of the world, where dental care costs up to 80% less than what it might cost in the United States. Subscribe to Siriu...

17 Feb 41min

Artistic License Redux

Artistic License Redux

Idaho was the first state to slap a slogan on a license plate, “Idaho Potatoes,” which may not seem like a big deal, but it turns out this idea would end up having outsized consequences, and not just ...

10 Feb 33min

The Em Dash

The Em Dash

The strange history of a punctuation mark that makes writing feel human, and why people now think it proves the opposite. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-...

3 Feb 39min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
e24-podden
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
pengesnakk
finansredaksjonen
utbytte
pengepodden-2
rss-sunn-okonomi
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
lederpodden
stormkast-med-valebrokk-stordalen
liberal-halvtime
rss-markedspuls-2
lederskap-nhhs-podkast-om-ledelse
arcticpodden