Comments on: Welcome our big-bootied robot overloards

Welcome our big-bootied robot overloards

numlok — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:14:47 -0800

On the Chilean island of Robinson Crusoe, a small GPR-enabled robot named Arturito (google translated page) has apparently just found "The biggest treasure in history..." (estimated at $10 Billion).

By: wakko

wakko — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:17:02 -0800

damn i lost my treasure somewhere around there last week... glad they found it for me.

By: numlok

numlok — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:18:22 -0800

Also Arturito (and Star Wars geek) related: T-shirt / Wikipedia Entry (listed under "Inspiration")

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:21:57 -0800

I just watched Sahara last night. Is this the same thing? Does the robot ride a crashed plane like it was a sailboard? Because that was my favorite part (well that an Steve Zahn losing his hat again and again, that was a great gag!).

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:23:49 -0800

You know what really sucks is that poor Alexander Selkirk was the guy that really was stranded there for four friggin' years, yet the island gets named for the fictional character.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:32:21 -0800

Looks like Arturito is going to Robot Vegas to get some Robot Hookers and party like its 0000010100010011100010101011.

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:34:42 -0800

Pirates. Such poor financial planners. Instead of buying it they really should have invested it. I'm not sure what the interest rate is on that particular Island but it can't be more than .05%? Whale oil futures and a cocoa plantation would have netted them at least 15% interest.

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:35:55 -0800

And the announcement has already sparked a dispute over who could claim the treasure, with the Chilean government suggesting it would have full rights. That made me laugh-- the government "suggesting." I picture an emergancy meeting of the cabinet and somebody piping up, "Perhaps we ought to float the idea that the treasure really belongs to us." "Oh, I say, smashing idea! Couldn't hurt to put the suggestion out there. You never know."

By: shoepal

shoepal — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:46:20 -0800

fenriq, you slay.

By: numlok

numlok — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:48:44 -0800

fenriq: Ha ha, too true! I have a feeling they won't be calling him "Little Arthur" anymore...

By: me3dia

me3dia — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 13:51:51 -0800

I am hereby suggesting that the $10 billion belongs to me.

By: NationalKato

NationalKato — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 14:46:06 -0800

at least someone's gettin' some booty around here.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 14:48:19 -0800

Odd timing. The camp of Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk (from which the book is based) has recently been discovered by a Japanese archaeologist. I've taken all this as a sign to read Robinson Crusoe and just ordered a Norton Critical Edition.

By: elpapacito

elpapacito — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 14:49:14 -0800

Arrrrrrr meh treasure !

By: nervousfritz

nervousfritz — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 16:16:32 -0800

That wasn't Oak Island was it.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 16:58:47 -0800

shoepal, in my other life, I am a kill bot.

By: CCK

CCK — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:39:21 -0800

Why would anyone admit to finding it and letting any corrupt government make a claim? Find it, dig it up, put it on a boat 13 miles of the coast of San Diego, then announce it!!!

By: uncanny hengeman

uncanny hengeman — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:19:31 -0800

How frikkin' long would it take to transport and bury 800 frikkin' barrels of gold ingots 15 meters underground??? And then it was dug up and reburied somewhere else on the Island?! 15 Meters?! How much of that can be attributed to normal movement of sand over the years? Seems awfully deep.

By: neuron

neuron — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 22:11:42 -0800

If I found a $10B treasure, I sure-as-hell wouldn't tell anybody about it.

By: uncanny hengeman

uncanny hengeman — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 22:41:04 -0800

If I found a $10B treasure, I sure-as-hell wouldn't tell anybody about it. Like this recent discovery discussed on Metafilter... Cops said if they hadn't been such attention whores they would probably have gotten away with it.

By: signal

signal — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 10:51:25 -0800

CCK writes 'Why would anyone admit to finding it and letting any corrupt government make a claim?
Find it, dig it up, put it on a boat 13 miles of the coast of San Diego, then announce it!!!' Not to start a holy war here, but if you think the Chilean government is more corrupt than the US one, you haven't been following the news these last 15 years or so.

By: dhartung

dhartung — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 12:55:43 -0800

You know what really sucks is that poor Alexander Selkirk was the guy that really was stranded there for four friggin' years, yet the island gets named for the fictional character. Actually -- one is named for each. In 1966 the Chilean government renamed Isla Más Afuera to Alejandro Selkirk and Isla Más a Tierra to Robinson Crusoe, in order to promote tourism. Incidentally, Selkirk never set foot on Más Afuera, only on Más a Tierra. Ideally, perhaps, the names would have been reversed. Or perhaps I. Crusoe is closer to tourism?

By: Atreides

Atreides — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 13:26:35 -0800

That made me laugh-- the government "suggesting." I picture an emergancy meeting of the cabinet and somebody piping up, "Perhaps we ought to float the idea that the treasure really belongs to us." "Oh, I say, smashing idea! Couldn't hurt to put the suggestion out there. You never know Wouldn't be the first time governments have gotten hungry for buried or shipwrecked treasure. The Spaniards have gotten into the game here and here.

By: sjvilla79

sjvilla79 — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 06:21:25 -0800

This news is really interesting. I was just about to post this and obviously have been well beaten to it. The story is everywhere now though. Sure will be interesting to see what they uncover! Now, let's all make pirate noises!

By: uncanny hengeman

uncanny hengeman — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 16:50:14 -0800

Yar!

By: CCK

CCK — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 12:04:34 -0800

Signal, that's why I said thirteen miles, Territorial waters end at 12 miles. And I wouldn't want the Chilean Navy chasing me down, I can't think they would, being that close to major US Naval bases. Not arguing comparative corruptness between the two countries. I just can't imagine the US making a claim to the treasure with a straight face. (not that they need one).