A team of nuclear engineers at Texas A&M’s Nuclear Science and Policy Institute attached radioactivity sensors to the backs of cockroaches, meant to scope out different kinds of nuclear material. The cockroaches are remote-controlled, so officials could unleash them into potentially contaminated areas that might not be safe for humans.
The roaches would join an array of non-human war-fighters the Department of Defense seems keen on assembling: already, they’ve floated plans for cyborg spy beetles, flying robo-moths and even killer dolphins, allegedly.
But when it comes to nuke-detection, roaches are ideal candidates - for every reason everyone already hates them: the critters can survive for weeks without food, are nearly impossible to kill, and have invaded every continent except for Antarctica. They can also run non-stop for 35 minutes, and are resilient enough to carry a three-gram back-pod for several months. Oh, and somehow the things are radiation-resistant, too.
Continue Reading “Nuke-Hunting Robo-Roaches Enlisted for Animal Army” »
