00:00Symbols, man, they're everywhere.
00:04On road signs, logos, phones.
00:07Ever wondered where all these universal signs come from?
00:10Well, let's unravel the mystery behind all these symbols from the Bluetooth sign to the
00:16heart emoji!
00:20How many times have you struggled to plug in a USB, flipping it over and over again?
00:26Total struggle, right?
00:28But what does the circle, square, and triangle really mean?
00:32The USB symbol was actually inspired by the Dryzak.
00:36You know, Poseidon's trident.
00:39The three shapes of the trident's points are there to show the different peripherals you
00:43can connect with a universal serial bus, aka USB.
00:48It's all about showing off the tech power of USBs, connecting all sorts of devices.
00:57The ampersand.
00:59Surely you recognize it from brands such as M&M's and H&M.
01:03It's the easiest way to abbreviate the word and.
01:07This symbol's story started in ancient Rome, where Latin was the language of the peeps,
01:12to them, and was like the French A. Over the years it evolved into the ampersand, likely
01:18to save room in the pages of super long letters.
01:23Toyota's logo.
01:27Man, it's simple, easy to spot, but kind of puzzling, right?
01:32I mean, cars have four wheels, but the logo's got three circles.
01:36Turns out it was picked way back in 1936 and wasn't cooked up in-house.
01:41Nope, it won in a logo design contest.
01:45And those circles?
01:46They're not just random.
01:48You can actually split them up to spell out T-O-Y-O-T-A.
01:54Pretty clever, huh?
01:56You'd probably make it the winner as well.
02:01Why the heck do we call that bumpy upside-down triangle a heart shape?
02:07It goes way, way back, like several hundred years BCE.
02:12Back then there was this plant called silphium.
02:14It had these heart-shaped seeds and the ancient Greeks were nuts about it.
02:19They even slapped it on some of their coins.
02:21Oh, and get this.
02:23It was a contraceptive plant, so that's how it got associated with love.
02:29Cute.
02:32So have you ever noticed how those radiation symbols look like they belong in some abstract
02:37art museum?
02:39It's crazy that it's actually a heads-up about serious radioactivity nearby.
02:44It was doodled up by some Berkeley researchers back in 1946.
02:49Started off as magenta on blue, then went magenta and yellow, before settling on black
02:54and yellow for better visibility.
02:57The symbol itself?
02:59Supposed to show radioactivity busting out of an atom.
03:02Pretty rad, huh?
03:07Now on to the biohazard symbol.
03:10Looks like something out of a dark, artsy inkblot test, doesn't it?
03:15Simple enough, though.
03:16A circle sliced up by three squiggly black lines that taper off towards the edge.
03:22Created by Dow Chemical folks in 1966, following a bunch of rules to keep it low-key but recognizable.
03:29It's supposed to show a nasty agent messing up a living organism.
03:33Makes sense when you think about it.
03:36Ah, Hyundai.
03:39Pumping out affordable rides like nobody's business.
03:42Their logo is pretty straightforward, right?
03:46It's an italicized H in a circle.
03:48But don't tell Hyundai that it's basic.
03:50According to them, it's more than just an H. It's supposed to look like two folks shaking
03:55hands seen from the side.
03:58Check out this little pic if you're struggling to see it.
04:01They say it's all about prosperity and the good vibes Hyundai shares with its customers.
04:06Cool, huh?
04:10Bluetooth, man.
04:11It's like magic.
04:13The symbol looks like a fancy letter B, huh?
04:16But there's more to it.
04:18Turns out it's got some roots in Nordic runes.
04:22Back then, runes were etched into stone or wood, mostly using straight lines.
04:27The Bluetooth symbol is what they call a bind rune, combining two runes.
04:33They're the Viking versions of the letters B and H, giving a nod to a legendary king
04:38named Harold Bluetooth.
04:43The crown has always been the ultimate power symbol of the top dog.
04:47But why does a fancy ring around your head mean you get to call the shots?
04:52One theory ties it back to Christianity, where angels often rock halos.
04:57Since many kings claimed to rule by divine right, the crown could have picked up some
05:02holy vibes.
05:04But nah, that theory doesn't quite cut it.
05:07Rings have been around way before Christianity, starting with diadems worn by ancient Greek
05:13deities.
05:14We'll never know.
05:16Let's talk thumbs up.
05:20Usually, it's a sign of approval, right?
05:22But why?
05:23Well, it might be a throwback to the gladiatorial fights in ancient Rome.
05:28There's still some debate about that among historians.
05:31When one warrior was dominating the other, they'd turn to the VIP in the audience,
05:36whether it was a city official or the Roman emperor himself.
05:41That VIP would then give a thumbs up to decide the loser's fate.
05:46Thumbs up might sound like a good job signal, but back then, it meant it's time to shuffle
05:52off this mortal coil.
05:57Yin-Yang symbols have been around since the 14th century BCE.
06:02They're like the poster child for Taoism, representing the balance between opposing
06:06forces.
06:08Each side's got a bit of the other, symbolizing all sorts of deep stuff like morality and
06:13spirituality.
06:14But get this, the symbols' roots are surprisingly literal.
06:19Yin means the dark side of the mountain, and Yang means the light side.
06:24So picture this, the symbols like a bird's eye view of a mountaintop.
06:29Trippy, right?
06:33Do you love pies?
06:35Nope, not those desserts with yummy filling, but pies from your 10th grade math class.
06:40Pie's that magic number, roughly 3.141, that helps us figure out circle areas and stuff.
06:48Archimedes of Syracuse gets the credit for discovering it around 250 BCE, but he didn't
06:54give it that symbol.
06:55Nope, that was William Jones.
06:58He went with the first Greek letter of the word, perimeter, which is what he was using
07:02pie for.
07:05We're used to seeing crosses all around, but usually we see this type of cross, the
07:12two straight lines intersecting with each other.
07:15Yep, that one that got pretty famous thanks to Christianity.
07:20But there's a more ancient symbol of a cross that fewer know is even a cross, the Ankh.
07:26This ancient Egyptian symbol is called the key of life, and it's known to represent immortality.
07:33You can find it a lot in ancient Egyptian sacred texts and drawings, or in hype necklaces
07:39nowadays.
07:40Your pick!
07:44The staff of Hermes or Mercury is the go-to symbol for a bunch of health organizations.
07:50But here's the kicker, Hermes wasn't a healer.
07:53Nah, he was more into thieving.
07:56But back in ancient Greece around 1200 BCE, there was this dude named Asclepius, a genius
08:02doc.
08:03His trademark was a long wooden staff with a snake wrapped around it.
08:08Fast forward a few millennia, and some officer from the US Army Medical Corps mixed up the
08:13two symbols.
08:14Oops!
08:15Ah, the I'm alright symbol might land you in hot water at certain places, believe it
08:23or not.
08:24But did you know it's actually a sacred symbol in Buddhism and Hinduism?
08:29It's called a mudra, specifically the mudra of discussion.
08:34It's not just about signaling you're okay, it's about transmitting the wisdom of Buddha
08:38to those who are open to learning about his teachings.
08:42Pretty deep, right?
08:44I'm not sure we should keep throwing it around like we do anymore.
08:50The lightning bolt never has something signified so much with so little.
08:55This could easily reference the Power Rangers, Flash, a charging station for your phone,
09:00and the wrath of Zeus.
09:03This symbol is one of the oldest and most recognized in human history.
09:07Its origin might be as old as humankind itself.
09:11Cavemen and Neanderthals scratched them in caves.
09:14It's got representations on Norse, Roman, Greek, and Native American civilizations.
09:20It basically means, fear of fire coming down from the sky.
09:27You've probably seen tons of tattoos with this symbol, the Eye of Horus.
09:33What you probably didn't know is that it's meant to signify good health and restoration.
09:38You see, Horus was an ancient Egyptian deity.
09:42He got into a fight with Set, another deity, and lost his left eye.
09:46Hathor, an almighty feminine deity, magically restored his eye.
09:52Since then, this symbol has meant wholesome health and integration.
09:58The McDonald symbol is probably one of the most famous worldwide.
10:02Clearly, it's a stylized letter M, but it was designed to represent two golden arches.
10:09Looks like you're entering some pretty darn special kingdom!
10:12Yikes!
10:13That's it for today!
10:16So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your
10:21friends!
10:22Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
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