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Japanese Use Wild Monkeys To Track Radiation

Posted by samzenpus on from the nuclear-plant-of-the-apes dept.

PolygamousRanchKid writes "Scientists in Japan are taking a novel approach to measuring the impact of radiation in a forest affected by the Fukushima nuclear crisis: enlisting the help of local wild monkeys. Takayuki Takahashi, a professor of robotic technology at Fukushima University, told CNN Wednesday his team was working on a collar fitted with a dosimeter to measure radiation levels that could be fitted to the monkeys before they are released back into the wild. Takahashi said the experiment would help researchers understand how radiation in the forest can affect human beings, as well as wild animals. While human scientists have been monitoring radiation levels from the air, the use of monkey 'assistants' will give them a clearer idea of conditions on the ground."

4 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. I think I've seen the movie by FairAndHateful · · Score: 5, Funny

    Isn't this kind of where King Kong comes from?

  2. Re:Think of the [monkey] children! by walkerp1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Anyone else want to gather about 100 irradiated monkeys and send them to PETA for some tlc?

  3. Re:Where have I heard this story before? by khallow · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Make the cunts responsible for the catastrophe go in.

    As long as we send in everyone responsible. For example, the nuclear luddites would need to be sent as well. After all, they're the ones who prevented fuel rod recycling or the construction of new reactors.

    But I imagine that somehow you'll only consider "responsible" some subset of people who you happen to disagree with. Responsibility only sticks to the enemy.

  4. Re:Where have I heard this story before? by DrBoumBoum · · Score: 5, Interesting

    After all, they're the ones who prevented fuel rod recycling or the construction of new reactors.

    Any citation to back that crap up? From what I understand fuel recycling has been hampered by technical complexity (breeder reactors), fear of uncontrollable proliferation in a full-scale Pu economy and non-competitivity in face of cheap uranium and oil. And the first obstacle in the construction of new reactors has always been that extending the operational life of existing ones, as was done in Japan and is currently done in Russia, is by far the most profitable move.

    From my point of view one of the most serious obstacle against the credibility of nuclear energy is probably the smug and haughty attitude of those innumerable assholes ready to deny at any cost the shortcomings of their pet technology and to wipe off any legitimate concern as necessarily coming from so-called "ludites" and "joe-six-packs". Are you certain that you are not the blind idiot here?