Japanese Use Wild Monkeys To Track Radiation 85
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."
This is real, people. (Score:3, Insightful)
Excuse me, but how is this tagged 'Idle'? And what's with the Planet Of The Ape jokes which is derivative of complete fiction?
This is a real country with a real populace.
Seems like a significant research technique for an original scenario, mutation jokes be damned.
Lighten up (Score:4, Insightful)
Bah. I live in Japan, was born here, and will probably die here; hopefully from old age, perhaps from radiation or from earthquakes, who knows?
But hey, monkeys are funny. They are also fascinating.
And I love stupid Planet of the Apes jokes. Even stupid Godzilla and radiation jokes don't bother me. They probably don't bother the researchers either, and they sure as hell don't bother the monkeys. After all, they're monkeys! And get your stinking paws off me you damned dirty apes!
Re:Where have I heard this story before? (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.
Re:Why monkeys? (Score:5, Insightful)
Japan is not exactly teaming with wildlife choices are:
Bear
Deer
Rabbit
Fox
Tanuki (a dictionary will tell you its a racoon-dog, more to the racoon end of the scale though)
Kamoshika (Hairy mountain goat thing)
Monkey
Throw everything out that hibernates.
Throw out everything that has terrain limitations in very dense bush, or steepness.
Throw out things that are difficult to catch or dangerous.
Think Kamoshika's are protected/endangered are pretty elusive and don't leave the mountains....
Monkeys seem like a good choice, and are probably slightly more similar to us (in case they start showing full blown radiation sickness) than an Andrias japonicus [wikipedia.org]