# What is the logo on Brian Cox's t-shirt **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 26, 2023, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665 "2023-07-26T22:45:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/1 "2023-07-26T22:45:52Z")
Brian Cox, the physicist, was on Ronja World wearing a t-shirt with a yellow circle and the number 253 within it. What is the significance of this logo or the number 253 to a physicist? Google failed me. [Link to snippet.](https://www.google.com/search?q=ronja+world+youtube+brian+cox&rlz=1C1EJFC_enUS922US922&oq=ronja+world+youtube+brian+cox&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTI4NjIyajBqNKgCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:12130b19,vid:R07KswLcakw) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/2 "2023-07-26T23:12:16Z")
Link doesn’t work, try this [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/R07KswLcakw/maxresdefault.jpg "Brian Cox Deciphers the Higgs Boson") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R07KswLcakw) And here’s a better image [https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640x360/p01jynyq.jpg/](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640x360/p01jynyq.jpg/) What does it mean? Not sure, but googling found this image of a type of [medicine for bipolar disorder](https://www.brunet.ca/en/health/medication-dictionary/sandoz-aripiprazole-tablet-15mg/02473682/). Is it connected? I don’t know. [![](https://www.brunet.ca/FicheMedicaments/images/source/02473682/) ](https://www.brunet.ca/FicheMedicaments/images/source/02473682/) ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/3 "2023-07-26T23:18:38Z")
Is he from Tacoma, WA (telephone area code)?: [![](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2FA1OZPgCsCHL._CLa%257C2140%252C2000%257C51jo%252BZjnz6L.png%257C0%252C0%252C2140%252C2000%252B0.0%252C0.0%252C2140.0%252C2000.0_AC_UL1500_.png&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=64370dbcf7a64a40fbf4f516657b6b0898b19c25ee58ec9690237762fc15eeaf&ipo=images) ](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2FA1OZPgCsCHL._CLa%257C2140%252C2000%257C51jo%252BZjnz6L.png%257C0%252C0%252C2140%252C2000%252B0.0%252C0.0%252C2140.0%252C2000.0_AC_UL1500_.png&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=64370dbcf7a64a40fbf4f516657b6b0898b19c25ee58ec9690237762fc15eeaf&ipo=images) ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/4 "2023-07-26T23:19:49Z")
Similar font to this: [![](https://253farmacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/253artofcannabis.png) ](https://253farmacy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/253artofcannabis.png) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/5 "2023-07-26T23:37:52Z")
So he’s a bipolar toker from Tacoma? I’ve heard of 4/20 but what’s the link to 253 and cannabis? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/6 "2023-07-26T23:47:39Z")
253 Farmacy is a recreational marijuana dispensary, although I think the font is slightly different. I doubt Brian Cox is a stoner anyway, despite once being in a pop band. Probably a red herring. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/7 "2023-07-26T23:54:22Z")
It’s the atomic number of einsteinium, so maybe that’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/8 "2023-07-26T23:58:49Z")
On the other hand, if you google “253 t-shirt”, you find a lot of shirts relating to the area code, some of them quite similar to the one he’s wearing in the clip. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/9 "2023-07-26T23:59:14Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > Is he from Tacoma, WA (telephone area code)? Nope; he’s from England. Edit: he’s married to an American, though she’s apparently from Minnesota. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/10 "2023-07-27T00:00:25Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > It’s the atomic number of einsteinium, so maybe that’s it. Atomic number 99, most common isotope atomic weight 253 Brian ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/11 "2023-07-27T00:44:37Z")
Brian Cox, is that you? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/12 "2023-07-27T01:15:03Z")
Unfortunately no…. Not famous Brian ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/13 "2023-07-27T09:09:39Z")
I did a search and found a tweet from Brian from way back in 2017: > ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/14 "2023-07-27T13:50:58Z")
But that doesn’t say 253 is big letters. It is a spectrograph … a graph… see [Brian Cox Emission Spectrum T-Shirt - Lateral Events](https://lateralevents.com/product/brian-cox-emission-spectrum-t-shirt/) ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/15 "2023-07-27T14:22:11Z")
Maybe he went to the Seattle/Tacoma area for a conference or general tourism and found a shirt he liked? Not every t-shirt has to be a message ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/16 "2023-07-27T17:43:34Z")
Possible, but I scoured google images and couldn’t find one just like that. It seems if it was mass produced for sale it would come up under search. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/17 "2023-07-27T18:05:29Z")
It could be a reference to the Sculptor Galaxy, NGC 253. > **[Sculptor Galaxy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculptor_Galaxy)** > > The Sculptor Galaxy (also known as the Silver Coin, Silver Dollar Galaxy, NGC 253, or Caldwell 65) is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. The Sculptor Galaxy is a starburst galaxy, which means that it is currently undergoing a period of intense star formation. > The galaxy was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783 during one of her systematic comet searches. About half a century later, John Herschel observed it using his 18-inch metallic mirror reflector at the Cape of G... This article from 2011 says in its first line that the discovery of a black hole in NGC 253 would make Brian Cox “excited”, although it fails to mention him in the rest of the article. > [@](#): > > It’s enough to make TV’s favourite physicist, Brian Cox, excited. > > Astronomers have found that the centre of the galaxy nearest to our own hosts a twin of Sagittarius A\*, the bright radio source that lies at the core of our Milky Way and which harbors a massive black hole. > > Scientists studied the spectacular spiral galaxy, NGC 253, with Chile’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope when they made the find. > **[Milky Way's 'twin' discovered as astronomers find a supermassive black hole](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1369645/Milky-Ways-twin-discovered-astronomers-supermassive-black-hole.html)** > > Astronomers have found that the centre of the galaxy nearest to our own hosts a twin of Sagittarius A\*, the bright radio source that lies at the core of our Milky Way And there’s more… The Sculptor Galaxy, NGC 253, was first observed by Caroline Herschel in 1783. Brian Cox’s cat, a calico, is apparently named… Herschel, after Caroline Herschel. > **[Readers’ wildlife photograph](https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2018/09/20/readers-wildlife-photograph-5/)** > > Posting may be light today as I have some science to do (working on my last research paper!), and we'll have but one wildlife photo, an astronomy photo by reader Tim Anderson. But I love the astronomy ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/18 "2023-07-27T18:06:32Z")
We need a Brian Cox t shirt explainer site … ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/19 "2023-07-27T20:11:16Z")
It could very well be a custom T-Shirt. He’s [had them made before](https://www.designbyantony.com/portfolio/tee-shirt-professor-brian-cox/) or worn [other obscure references](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p08yzn37.jpg). (well, a _double_ obscure reference, one astronomical and one musically Mancunian) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-logo-on-brian-coxs-t-shirt/987665/20 "2023-07-27T21:29:20Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > The Sculptor Galaxy, NGC 253, was first observed by Caroline Herschel in 1783. Brian Cox’s cat, a calico, is apparently named… Herschel, after Caroline Herschel. That’s some pretty good sleuthing, and you make a good case. Of course, now I want one of those shirts! Given all of of his special t-shirts, this doesn’t seem like something he grabbed at the gift shop. > [@MrDibble](#): > > … or worn [other obscure references](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p08yzn37.jpg). (well, a _double_ obscure reference, one astronomical and one musically Mancunian) He has a Deborah Harry poster! > [@DSeid](#): > > We need a Brian Cox t shirt explainer site … 100%