• POLITICS
  • SCIENCE
    • Astronomy
    • Physics
    • Biology
    • Geology
    • Environment
    • Medicine and Health
    • Sociology
    • Psychology
  • MOVIES & TV SHOWS
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Virtual Reality
    • Bionics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Engineering
    • Robotics
    • Space Exploration
    • Transport
    • Industry and Service
  • GADGETS
    • Mobile Devices
    • Wearables
    • Consoles
    • Hi-Tech
  • GEEK CULTURE
    • Gaming
    • Comics
    • Thingamajigs
  • MUSIC
  • SOFTWARE
    • APPS
      • Android
      • iOS
      • Windows
  • HARDWARE
  • CARS
  • REVIEWS
  • Advertise
  • Geek Reply Jobs
  • Contact Us
Geek Reply
  • HOME
  • Editorials
  • Geek Squad
  • GeekReply Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Google+

  • LinkedIn

  • RSS

Environment

“Little Sunfish” Robot Might Have Found Melted Fukushima Fuel Rod

“Little Sunfish” Robot Might Have Found Melted Fukushima Fuel Rod
Aaron Greenbaum
July 24, 2017

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, or Fukushima for short, has become synonymous with the dangers of a nuclear meltdown. Unlike the Chernobyl disaster, which was caused by a faulty reactor design and human error, the Fukushima disaster was the result of a tsunami damaging generators that helped keep the reactors cool. However, regardless of the cause, these disasters have created irradiated areas humans cannot safely navigate; one such area includes the infamous Elephant’s Foot, a solidified blob of corium — a lava-like substance formed inside reactor cores during nuclear meltdowns — found in Chernobyl that is so radioactive it can kill a human in several minutes. Scientists cannot explore or examine these contaminated areas without having every cell in their body hemorrhage after ten minutes (yes, seriously), which is where robots such as “Little Sunfish” come in.

Little Sunfish, also known as Mini Manbo, is a small exploratory robot no larger than a loaf of bread that looks like a hi-tech pizza cutter. The remotely-controlled robot, which started diving into the Fukushima reactor last week, uses lights, five propellers, two cameras, and a dosimeter — a device that measures ionizing radiation. According to The Japan Times, Toshiba Corp and the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning (IRID) worked together to develop Little Sunfish for the express purpose of exploring the Fukushima reactor and removing nuclear debris, and all their hard work is starting to pay off.

According to sites such as BBC News and CNN, Little Sunfish and its operators have found “lava-like rocks and lumps” under the reactor. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) released a statement explaining, “There is a high possibility that the solidified objects are mixtures of melted metal and fuel that fell from the vessel,” and that the debris would have to analyzed. TEPCO spokesman Maki Murayama believes, “This is a big step towards the decommission process.”

One of the images taken of the reactor

The description of the debris is strikingly similar to Chernobyl’s Elephant’s Foot, which is still giving off beyond-fatal doses of radiation and will do so for at least one hundred years. While the Fukushima disaster didn’t release as much radiation as the Chernobyl disaster, if Little Sunfish has found what is essentially an underwater Elephant’s Foot, just how will TEPCO decommission it? All that could be done with Chernobyl’s Elephant Foot was quarantine it behind four hundred thousand cubic meters of concrete.  Regardless, we wish the company the best in its attempts to fix this horrendous disaster.

Post Views: 226
W3Schools
Related ItemsfeaturedJapannuclear reactorradiationrobot
Environment
July 24, 2017
Aaron Greenbaum

All you have to do to get my attention is talk about video games, technology, anime, and/or Dungeons & Dragons - also people in spandex fighting rubber suited monsters.

Related ItemsfeaturedJapannuclear reactorradiationrobot

More in Environment

11-Year-Old

11-Year-Old Scientist Creates Lead Detector for Water.

Ule LopezOctober 22, 2017
Read More
Motors

General Motors to Release 20 Electric Cars by 2023

Ule LopezOctober 2, 2017
Read More

California Might Ban the Sale of Non-Electric Cars

Aaron GreenbaumSeptember 26, 2017
Read More
representatives G20 summit 2017

Trump Ignores G20 Unity on Climate Change

Brian TrailJuly 11, 2017
Read More
France

France Joins the Fight by Banning Diesel Vehicles by 2040

Ule LopezJuly 6, 2017
Read More
stephen-hawking-human-agression

Stephen Hawking Claims Trump’s Climate Plans Will Turn the Earth into Venus

Aaron GreenbaumJuly 3, 2017
Read More
Jupiter

NASA reveals Jupiter’s “String of Pearls” and it’s awesome

Ule LopezJune 18, 2017
Read More

Trump Loses Battle with Congress on Budget for Research. NIH and NASA Are the Beneficiaries

Samantha JacksMay 2, 2017
Read More
icebergs

Could Icebergs Help Us Predict Weather Patterns?

Rosie CammishApril 25, 2017
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Game Deals

EwinRacing Champion Series Gaming Chairs
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • Comments

  • Playing It Safe: How Online Gamers Can Dodge Cybersecurity Risks
    Geek CultureJune 16, 2022
  • The Importance of a Good Resume for the Tech Industry
    TechnologyJune 30, 2022
  • iPhone 14 – 10 LEAKED Features!
    GadgetsJanuary 20, 2022
  • Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac
    Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac- It can surely save the day
    ReviewsSeptember 26, 2019
  • The Importance of a Good Resume for the Tech Industry
    TechnologyJune 30, 2022
  • Playing It Safe: How Online Gamers Can Dodge Cybersecurity Risks
    Geek CultureJune 16, 2022
  • How Professional Gamers Can Combat Health Concerns
    GamingMay 10, 2022
  • Using Video Content to Help Grow Your Gaming Stream
    GamingMay 4, 2022
  • Just 10% Of iPhone X Users Want Apple To Remove The Notch, Survey Says – My WordPress Website says:

    […] There are lots of requests that Apple users are…

  • The 9 most plausible rumors in regards to the new iPhones – Mark Swarrts says:

    […] Just 10% Of iPhone X Users Want Apple To…

  • Onimusha: Warlords HD PS4/Xbox One Box Art Revealed - GameSinners says:

    […] mean for the series, as its success could result…

  • 5 Essential Tips to Setup a Web Hosting Business | Your Own Website says:

    […] Source link […]

Geek Reply

Greetings techies! We are Geek Reply, a website whose main goal is to bring you all the latest news and updates from within the industry and beyond. What can you expect to find here?

Professional journalism coupled with expository writing for the most part, but we also give our honest opinion or throw in a pinch of humor for good measure when we deem it necessary. Our team is comprised of enthusiasts from across a wide variety of fields ranging from smartphone junkies to camera nerds, and everything in between. But perhaps you were looking for your daily dose of science news or hoping to read about the latest apps. If that’s the case, don’t worry, you came to the right place.

GeekReply Secured with GeekReply Scured
Nintendo Switch GeekReply

Copyright © 2020 GeekReply - Webdesign & Marketing - iPublicitate

Inalienable Right to Privacy in the Digital Age
The Researcher That Stopped WannaCry has been Detained