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Rescue Rats to Find Buried Victims

adaminnj writes "Rats are being trained to sniff out the buried victims of earthquakes and bomb blasts and could be sent to search for survivors in the same way as dogs. The idea of being rescued by a rat may not appeal to many people, but they have the advantage of being able to crawl almost anywhere and slip through small holes and crevices. Like dogs, they also have a highly acute sense of smell. But to be successful rescuers, they must be able to home in on victims and signal their position to waiting rescue teams."

17 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. rats? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    talk about being ratted out

    1. Re:rats? by severoon · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm not sure I like where this is going. I'm trapped deep in a pile of rubble, waiting to be rescued...

      Ah! A rescue rat...I'm saved! Hey...what are you doing little guy? Augh! No! MY EYES!!! NOOooOOoo!
      --
      but have you considered the following argument: shut up.
  2. Perfect by Skiron · · Score: 5, Funny

    And if the person is dead, eat them, thus saving costly search 'n' find excursion parties.

  3. Interesting... by kjones692 · · Score: 5, Funny

    To me, the most interesting thing about this is how they "train rats to feel pleasure at the smell of humans", then monitor their brains for any pleasure stimulus.

    But what happens when they come running to find that the rat has uncovered the world's largest cache of underground cheese?

    --

    Love the Third Amendment?
    1. Re:Interesting... by tomhudson · · Score: 2, Funny

      Do you think they could train them to find my damn cell phone - I mean, they're getting so small that they're harder to find than a remote control.

  4. nibbled, not saved by Hubert_Shrump · · Score: 4, Funny

    hope they don't train them with cheese.

    --
    Keep your packets off my GNU/Girlfriend!
  5. Hmm ... and emergency rood for the trapped victim by hattig · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Hurrah! A rat, something to eat and drink at last!

    Dunno what this transmitter thing is, must have got trapped around the creature somewhere..."

  6. Just imagine... by katpurz · · Score: 5, Funny

    ..trapped under 12 feet of concrete rubble, not being able to move, and a rat is gnawing at your face...

    oh joy

  7. great.... by k3v0 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unless your name is Winston Smith shout out to George Orwell

  8. Ben.... by Ralph+Spoilsport · · Score: 4, Funny
    Ben, the two of us need look no more
    We both found what we were looking for
    With a friend to call my own
    I'll never be alone
    And you, my friend, will see
    You've got a friend in me
    (you've got a friend in me)

    Ben, you're always running here and there
    Finding dead bodies everywhere
    If you ever look behind
    And don't like what you find
    Keep going and follow my distant calls
    Under these broken walls
    (under these broken walls)

    I used to scream "HELP!!!" and "ME"
    Now it's "us", now it's "we"
    I used to scream "HELP!!!" and "ME"
    Now it's "us", now it's "we"
    Ben, most people would turn you away
    I can't hear a word they say
    They only see you as some trouble
    Searching all this rubble
    I'm sure they'd think again
    If they had a friend like Ben

    (a friend) Like Ben
    (like Ben) Like Ben

    --
    Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
  9. Re:See this from the victims point of view by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Well at least you finaly got something to eat

  10. Oh Rats! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeeaah, that's a good idea. Train rats to enjoy hunting down humans. This will end well, lol.

  11. bomb atack by IAR80 · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you do a bomb atack also release 20 hungry cats in the area.

    --
    http://ebgp.net/ccc/
  12. rending flesh microphones by number+one+duck · · Score: 4, Funny

    This one is easy. Just program a microphone to pick up on the sounds of flesh being torn from the bones of the victims, and treat this as the "Found one!" signal. Hopefully you can triangulate the position of the victim before they are fully devoured.

  13. The REAL question is ..... by UranusReallyHertz · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... can this technique be used on women to train them to seek out the smell of all us unwashed geeks and nerds!

    --
    Smoking is an expensive, slow, and unreliable method of suicide.
  14. Better make minature barrels for their necks by Drunken_Jackass · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't know about you, but the last thing i want to see after being buried under rubble from a collapsed building is a freakin' rat.

    They better dress these disease caddies in orange jumpsuits and affix a shot of something to a barrel under their necks.

    --
    There are 01 types of people in this world. Those that understand binary, and me.
  15. Re:Hmm ... and emergency rood for the trapped vict by polecat_redux · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Hurrah! A rat, something to eat and drink at last!

    Ah, finally a chance for a Black Adder quote.

    Black Adder:
    What's on the menu?

    Baldrick:
    Rat. Saute or fricasse?

    Black Adder:
    Oh, the agony of choice. And sauteed involves?

    Baldrick:
    Well, you take the freshly shaved rat, and you marinate it in a puddle for awhile.

    Black Adder:
    Uh-hmm, for how long?

    Baldrick:
    'Til it's drowned. Then you stick it out under a hot light bulb, then you get within dashing distance of the latrine and you scoff it right down.

    Black Adder:
    So that's sauteing, and fricasse?

    Baldrick:
    Exactly the same, just a slightly bigger rat.