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Japan readies new robot to probe crippled nuclear plant

How do you contain a leaky nuclear reactor when you can't find the leak? Send in the robots.

Japan continues to struggle with the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that was smashed in the earthquake and tsunami of 2011. It's radioactive and very dangerous. Decommissioning it will take decades.

Several robots and other tech are being thrown at the mess north of Tokyo, and Chiba Institute of Technology's Future Robotics Technology Center (fuRo) is developing another. Sakura is a small recon bot on treads that's designed to get into the bowels of the plant.… Read more

A keyboard from the tannery

Of all the computer gear that seems destined to be made of natural materials, the keyboard is first on the list. Versions in ivory, gold, and several models in wood are only a few examples.

But here's one that tops all of those, at least in its weirdness quotient: It's made of leather. Japanese artist Kazuharu Sakura has tried his hand at other unconventional designs, but those were made of more or less standard materials. This bovine version appears to be one of those art pieces created primarily for shock value--it's about as unattractive as it is … Read more