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[wierd]

(Sheepishly points out that 3D printing with concrete is already a thing, so robots squirting concrete is indeed a real thing already... )

But the issue is as Reelya points out. A nuclear power plant has to be able to withstand decades of continuous operation to be of net benefit to the society that plans it, and it has to do that reliably and safely. A new construction method, such as robo-printing, needs to have extensive reliability studies done to be sure it is not going to crack out, leak, flake apart, crumble from being looked at, et al.  That of course, neatly negates any benefit to rapid deployment you can ascribe to it. You can't make short shrift of the actual realities of what it is you are building-- A device that is just a few safeguards away from being a bomb, or a very nasty public health issue. Treat it with the severity and diligence it deserves; you will find that doing so means you have to invest more than just cheap construction efforts into its initial build and to its maintenance, and that means oversight groups, agreements on waste processing, transport and disposal, and a bevy of other things.  All that takes time.

[martinuzz]

And then there's the problem of a nuclear power plant's lifetime vs human lifetime, and bureaucratic sloppiness.
For example, in the UK there's about 5 old nuclear power plants that can't be decomissioned, because the architects and construction overseers have long passed away, and the building blueprints got lost somehow.
The inside probably has cracked, deteriorated and is leaking, but no one knows how and where to get in to start disassembly.
A robot evolution project is now 3d printing robots that are trying to 'evolve' to do the task. One plant has been recreated in a virtual reality using supercomputers. Virtual robots work in it there, and succesful variants get to be 3d printed, to be further tested in the reactor.

[Starver]

https://www.wired.com/story/fukushima-robot-cleanup/

(And other interesting, links given by the search term of "Fukushima robots".)

[Reelya]

If the damn liberals in Japan hadn't had their way, what with EPA-style rules, minimum wage and child labor laws, they could have found someone willing to do that for less money than the robots cost.

Nicknamed Little Sunfish, it was engineered to operate ­underwater, in total darkness, amid intense radiation.

Surely we can find a way to get children to do that. We fit them down chimneys before, FFS.

[nenjin]

Won’t someone think of the robots?

[Ametsala]

NFL bosses banned the practice of kneeling during the national anthem. (CNN article, Guardian article) They got worried that players kneeling during the national anthem to protest against social injustices would drive away conservative fans. Clubs, whose personnel are on the field during the anthem and do not stand, will now be fined. Personnel can choose to remain in the locker rooms during the anthem if they wish.

I thought the US constitution had something in it about freedom of speech? "People have freedom of speech, provided they don't use it to protest against social injustices, and their actions do not hamper profitable businesses."?

I expect the Players Association will contest the decision, and, if the decision is still in effect when the season starts, that players will be hanging around in the locker rooms. (Or kneeling on the field. If it's indeed the club that gets the fine, won't it harm the club owners instead of the kneeling players? Though the CNN article had something about clubs making their own rules for kneelers.)

Maybe players will start kneeling in MLB, NBA and NHL games next...

[smjjames]

Freedom of speech in the workplace can be a complicated thing sometimes and some people would rather keep their sports out of politics and vice versa.

[Ametsala]

Yeah, just looked into it and apparently the US constitution only prevents the government from limiting freedom of speech. There's different legislation for workplaces.

Speaking of freedom of speech and the constitution, Federal District Court rules that Trump blocking critics in Twitter violates the Constitution's First Amendment.

[NullForceOmega]

At this rate the stupid kneeling thing is going to get people killed.  On both sides.

[smjjames]

At this rate the stupid kneeling thing is going to get people killed.  On both sides.

As in sports hooliganism? I don’t see it going so far as getting people killed.

[PTTG??]

If you want to keep politics out of sports, why the hell even have the anthem? It's not like sports are a government function!

God damn, it bewilders me the lack of patriotism these people have to oppose free expression!

[Kagus]

Pretty soon, players won't be allowed to kneel on the field at all. This will make holding the ball still for a kick slightly more complicated.

[Dorsidwarf]

If you want to keep politics out of sports, why the hell even have the anthem? It's not like sports are a government function!

God damn, it bewilders me the lack of patriotism these people have to oppose free expression!

everyone knows that american free speech means "You have the freedom to agree with me"

[NullForceOmega]

There have already been credible death threats over this, and it would hardly be the first time athletes were targeted for violence due to political statements.

Frankly, I'm amazed that so few people have died over the current racial/cultural tensions.

Not that people aren't dying over it, but the numbers are still very small compared to previous periods of social unrest in the U.S.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

At least people would care then. Most murders by police get lost with the wind or if you're lucky gets enough local outrage for the grand jury to not be shown any evidence and recommend bonus vacation hours in lieu of an indictment.