#14

Hmmm. I suppose symbolism is the basic concept required to make the leap of understanding. i.e. things that are used to represent things in a simplified form. So, maybe, hand/finger shadow puppetry?

#15

That is indeed one of the options suggested but it all ends up a bit ‘citation needed’.

#16

Yeah, this is likely a very strong part of what influenced the way we’ve seen skeletons used in cartoons. Cartoonish depictions of skeletons go way back, right (surely)? Jolly Roger flag, etc. But the timeline of x-rays being discovered and animation being invented would share an overlap.

#17

Yeah, what I’m getting at, though, is we just accept these things. I find it interesting because I’ve never stopped to wonder where these symbolic images originally come from.

#18

(Gawd knows how you begin to explain x-rays to a kid? Although you can shine a light on your fingers and see the outline of your bones…)

#19

It’s a photograph that can see through your skin, but not your skellington, innit. (obviously the x-ray itself isn’t, but it’s a fair high level explanation of how they’re used)

#20

Oh for sure. There’s some good understanding of the world to be had by finding out the answers to this kind of conundrum. Like, understanding how much terminology in everyday phrases comes from shipping gives us an idea of how important/pervasive that ‘industry’ was compared to now.

#21

Yes. But… how…?

#22

a wizard did it.

2 Likes
#23

To be fair, this is a nice basic language way of starting to explain it.

Which reminds me that I want this cool-looking book:

https://xkcd.com/thing-explainer/

1 Like
#24

It’s a lovely book - highly recommended.

1 Like
#25

*leaves thread*

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#26

At that point you give the best scientific/technical explanation your knowledge allows until they either get bored and move on, or are confused but fascinated and their curiosity is piqued creating an interest that leads to an eventual career as a radiologist.

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#27

The tactics take with my daughter when it comes science is to tell them the truth.

“its radiation going through your body, and bones block them, so the photo is the inversion of that!”

She’s 3.

3 Likes
#28

Yeah you just have to keep being full truth although eventually you can end up in some weird dead ends.

#29

My first thought too. Have a t-shirt with electrocuted Marv on, one of my faves to wheel out around now.

#30

Morbid cartoonist trying to tell children the sad truth that we carry our death inside of us.

I know two people who have been badly but nonfatally electrocuted, one via a screwdriver which resulted in splitting his finger like a banana skin, another in some kind of graffiti scenario which apparently felt like his ‘body being ripped apart by chainsaws’. Should have asked if the could see their skeletons

1 Like
#32

On a similar note, what’s the origin of birds/stars floating around someone’s head when they get hit by a frying pan/anvil?

#33

Have you never seen ‘stars’ (add therefore been mildly disorientated) when standing up too quickly? No idea about the birds thing, though.

#34

Yeah, yeah, but I wasn’t hit by a frying pan.

What came first? The phrase “seeing stars” or actual cartoon stars?