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Robot Saves the Day at Radiation Lab

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the johnny-five-is-radioactive dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Nature.com is reporting that records released this week by the US defense department read almost like a bad movie plot. Back in October a high-security radiation lab had a cylinder filled with radiation get trapped in its delivery tube network. Fortunately a specially designed bomb-disposal robot was able to retrieve the canister before the radiation was able to eat its way free.

12 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. Not Really by MrNonchalant · · Score: 3, Funny

    "It sounds like something you might pitch to a Hollywood studio. A high-security US radiation lab is thrown into turmoil when a cylinder spewing out deadly radiation gets trapped in its network of delivery tubes. A robot is sent to try and free the canister before the radiation eats away at its circuits. After a string of failures, the intrepid machine saves the day."

    Not hardly. For that you'd need Tommy Lee Jones and terrorists to some how get involved.

  2. Still, it all comes down to the ol'screwdriver by digitaldc · · Score: 4, Funny

    On the third day, and after three weeks of continuous warning sirens, the team sent in the robot with a metal screwdriver. It unscrewed the plate, dislodged the switch, and sent the tube safely to its storage bay.

    Dude you mean the government spent $24 million on this project and all we needed to fix it was a screwdriver?

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
  3. coming to a theater near you by Huh? · · Score: 2, Funny

    I smell the next "based on a true story" hollywood stinker. Whoopee!!

  4. Inspired by Actual Events by pete-classic · · Score: 5, Funny

    The blockbuster event of Summer 2006: Robot Hero

    Starring Ben Affleck as the fucking robot.

  5. So many questions... by komodotoes · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm unsure why it took 2 days to decide to unscrew a panel and 2 attempts to decide that plastic screwdrivers don't work worth poo. Or why they have a "1950's document delivery system" transporting extremely dangerous items. The real heroes of the story: the metal screwdriver and the rope used to haul the broken robot out.




    NeverEndingBillboard.com

    --
    NeverEndingBillboard.com
  6. Re:Dupe by woolio · · Score: 1, Funny

    Perhaps someone can make a robot that prevents dupes on /.

  7. Unfortunately... by Psychor · · Score: 2, Funny

    Unfortunately the robot failed anyway, with only 5 minutes left until the radiation leaked out, destroying civilisation in an evil terrorist plot. Bruce Willis had to throw himself into the chamber and heroically sacrifice his life in order to correct the problem manually. After fixing the radiation leak, he managed to crawl into and activate an experimental cryogenic chamber stored in the same room, before expiring from the overdose of radiation. The probability of him being revived for a sequel is high.

    1. Re: Unfortunately... by Black+Parrot · · Score: 2, Funny

      > Bruce Willis had to throw himself into the chamber and heroically sacrifice his life in order to correct the problem manually. After fixing the radiation leak, he managed to crawl into and activate an experimental cryogenic chamber stored in the same room, before expiring from the overdose of radiation. The probability of him being revived for a sequel is high.

      I thought that was a Star Trek episode.

      No, wait - an Andromeda episode.

      Or maybe an SG-1 episode.

      Or was it an Angel episode? Or maybe Buffy.

      It's so hard to keep your heros straight, when they all do the same thing.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    2. Re:Unfortunately... by funwithBSD · · Score: 2, Funny

      Bruce Willis NEVER dies in his movies... unless he is costaring with Brad Pitt, in which case it was a mercy killing.

      --
      Never answer an anonymous letter. - Yogi Berra
  8. Re:Apparantly.... by Afecks · · Score: 2, Funny

    Apparantly, Robots can stop radiation. But they can't save Slashdot editors from dupes...

    More evidence they don't read their own site.

    and apparently you can't spell "Apparently"... more evidence that you don't read what you actually write...

    all kidding aside... my point is that we all make mistakes :P

  9. That's not true. by raehl · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm stuck with MREs and freeze dried crap.

    There are other options. Like meaty travel companions and a big knife.

    --
    paintball
  10. Tube cannot be filled with radiation by realnihilist · · Score: 2, Funny

    It is impossible for a tube to be filled with "radiation". Radiation would be emitted spherically in all directions from the tube, subject to the inverse square law. That is, unless one was far enough away from the tube for it to be considered a point source. What the tube was filled with is "contamination", which is the source of the radiation. Contamination is the "sh*t"...radiation is the "stink".