The Demon Core: A Deadly Slice of Nuclear History

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The demon core was a small, 6.2‐kilogram plutonium sphere measuring about 3.5 inches in diameter and was created during the Manhattan Project<sup class='text_citation' source_id='1' start_phrase='The demon core was a sphere' end_phrase='material was recycled'></sup>.

Originally intended for a third atomic bomb that was never deployed after Japan surrendered, this core was retained at Los Alamos for criticality experiments<sup class='text_citation' source_id='1' start_phrase='The third bomb was scheduled' end_phrase='left in Los Alamos'></sup>.

During its experiments, minor mishaps caused the core to go supercritical, releasing lethal blue flashes of neutron radiation and tragically claiming the lives of two scientists<sup class='text_citation' source_id='2' start_phrase='Both scientists' end_phrase='lethal dose'></sup>.

These fatal incidents led to the implementation of remote-handling techniques and strict safety protocols, forever changing nuclear experimentation<sup class='text_citation' source_id='6' start_phrase='After the incident' end_phrase='era of health and safety'></sup>.