canaries in coal mines
Early danger detectors
Canaries in coal mines refers to early warning indicators of danger or problems.
Coal miners once brought caged canaries underground because the birds would die from toxic gases before concentrations became lethal to humans—a dead canary meant get out.
The phrase now describes any sensitive indicator that signals trouble before it becomes obvious: Declining bee populations are canaries in the coal mine for environmental collapse.
Also appears as *canary in a coal mine* for singular warnings.
- litmus testSingle determining factor
- early warningAlert before event occurs
- warningAlert about danger
- red flagIndicator of danger
- cageBarred confinement structure
yellow feathers · whistleblowers · tipping points · coral bleaching · harbingers · toxicity · mining · safety · sentinel · tunnel · precaution · biodiversity loss · hazard · indicator · detection · shaft · coal · precursors
canaries in coal minesblind spots
Unperceived areas of awareness
complacency · willful ignorance · ignored warnings · crying wolf · rose-colored glasses
canaries in coal minespostmortems
Examinations of corpses
autopsies · hindsight · too little too late · learning the hard way · damage assessment
canaries in coal minesgas detectors
Devices sensing airborne chemicals
automated systems · carbon monoxide alarms · carbon monoxide detectors
canary, canaries, coals, mines, miners, undermine, undermined, undermining