[gambiting]

They could, if they were specced correctly. Wasn't the story that they intentionally requested robots hardened against lower radiation level than required to not disclose the true extent of the catastrophe? So the German company that built them underspecced the shielding and so they died quickly.

[ceejayoz]

The real story is a little less dramatic - it got stuck, and that meant it was exposed to the radiation for much longer than planned.

[hinkley]

That doesn't quite dovetail with the story I've heard about them shooting the elephant's foot with a gun to spall off a sample. I think there's still some damage control in some of the stories.

Which is to say, lies.

[echelon]

> specced

Totally orthogonal, but you just reminded me of a pet peeve I have.

This word is correct, but I can't stand it.

I wish we spelled this "specked", even though that has a homonym.

Like trafficked, panicked, frolicking, etc.

"specced" makes my brain wince.

[eqvinox]

> Like trafficked, panicked, frolicking, etc.

Those aren't truncations of longer words though?

I'd write it as spec'ed but that's German grammar with ' as a truncation mark (signifying the omitted "ifi").

[ninalanyon]

It's also normal English usage.

[butvacuum]

I don't think its good for formal use, but it is common.

[butvacuum]

specked means to have specks. It is an entirely different word.

[HPsquared]

Maybe spec'd