To scope out a suspected Mafia shipwreck that may hold nuclear material, Italian authorities sent in the robot.
A remote-controlled sub began filming a sunken vessel off Italy's southern coast over the weekend. That shipwreck may represent just one of 30 ships deliberately sunk in a rather sociopathic act of nuclear waste dumping.
Authorities found the ship after following a lead from a Mafia informant. The turncoat confessed to blowing up at least two other ships on behalf of the Calabrian Mafia, and also said that this particular shipwreck may hold radioactive material.Italy's robotic camera first returned images of yellow barrels marked with toxic labels from the shipwreck. Officials plan to test the contents for radioactivity.
Underwater robots have already been exploring shipwrecks for years, and both the U.S. Navy and oil companies seem eager to deploy ever greater fleets of robotic submersibles. But this radioactive scenario may give new meaning to Agent Smith's maxim, "Never send a human to do a machine's job."
[via BBC]
138 years of Popular Science at your fingertips.
Each issue has been completely reimagined for your iPad. See our amazing new vision for magazines that goes far beyond the printed page
Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone or Android phone with full articles, images and offline viewing
Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed
Science is reinventing play, from extreme sports to gamification to ridiculous roller coasters to the playgrounds of tomorrow, and this issue is chock full of fun. Also, on a less fun note: Did global warming destroy my hometown?
The US military and Afghan officials claim to have cleared Kandahar city and the adjacent district of Arghandab of militants. Operations are still under way in Panjhwayee and Zharai districts.
www.ucge-drs.com