Better not dig here in AD 12007

Question: Why would anyone be concerned about communicating with people in AD 12007, and how might such a message be given anyhow?

Answer: Scientists are trying to develop a sign for a salt mine in Carlsbad, New Mexico to say, "Don't dig here, we buried nuclear waste," reports Sally Palmer in "New Scientist" magazine. Computer models predict the mine will collapse within 1,000 years, sealing the chemical sludge and toxic contaminants, and should be intact for the 250,000 years until the waste becomes safe.

But government legislation mandates a 10,000-year explicit safeguarding, so the message will be carved onto 8 meter-tall monoliths. The next consideration is the language to use since the world will doubtless be vastly different 100 centuries from now.

Anthropologist David Givens says that while there's no universal symbol for danger, universal facial expressions such as fear or revulsion just might work. "There will also be a description of the site in seven languages, plus the word DANGER and today's symbols for biohazards and radioactivity," says Palmer.

The final design will then be road-tested in remote regions of Borneo and New Guinea where people have had no "Western" contact. Of course, none of us will ever find out if the message hits the mark but, as chief scientist Roger Nelson puts it, "we have to try."

Question: How does the embarrassment smile differ from other smiles?

Answer: It's not the classic amusement or pleasure smile, which crinkles the skin around the eyes, says Christine R. Harris in "American Scientist." Embarrassment smilers not only dodge eye contact but also look away faster, before the smile's apex, and may cover the mouth with a hand.

Research suggests two or three embarrassment types: faux-pas (skirt hiked up in the back after visiting a restroom), center of attention (being guest of honor at a surprise party), and sticky situation (having to remind a friend of an unpaid debt). Yet not all of us find all three equally embarrassing.

Literally, could embarrassment kill you? It might if it prevents someone from jumping into a river to save you from drowning, due to uncertain signals of what's happening and not wanting to seem a fool. Or if you're too embarrassed to get a needed colonoscopy. Less clear is whether the elevated heart rate and blood pressure of some embarrassed subjects pose a physical danger. The true shame is how little is known about this serious subject.