Phil Fernbach

This was one of the most fascinating periods in American history. It was the development of the nuclear bomb at Los Alamos in New Mexico. And these were very eminent physicists who were testing the reaction of the fissile material in the bomb, the plutonium.

And this particular experiment, which the physicist Richard Feynman, as you said, called Tickling the Dragon's Dale, it was a very delicate experiment that involved taking two hemispheres of beryllium that were surrounding the plutonium core and moving them closer and closer together to test the reactivity of the plutonium. So the plutonium is radioactive and gives off neutrons.

And this particular experiment, which the physicist Richard Feynman, as you said, called Tickling the Dragon's Dale, it was a very delicate experiment that involved taking two hemispheres of beryllium that were surrounding the plutonium core and moving them closer and closer together to test the reactivity of the plutonium. So the plutonium is radioactive and gives off neutrons.

And this particular experiment, which the physicist Richard Feynman, as you said, called Tickling the Dragon's Dale, it was a very delicate experiment that involved taking two hemispheres of beryllium that were surrounding the plutonium core and moving them closer and closer together to test the reactivity of the plutonium. So the plutonium is radioactive and gives off neutrons.

Those neutrons rebound off of the beryllium and create the reaction.

Those neutrons rebound off of the beryllium and create the reaction.

Those neutrons rebound off of the beryllium and create the reaction.

As the hemispheres get closer together, you get more of that reaction. What's so delicate and dangerous about this experiment is that if the hemispheres get too close together, it can create a chain reaction that releases a burst of radioactivity that can be very dangerous.

As the hemispheres get closer together, you get more of that reaction. What's so delicate and dangerous about this experiment is that if the hemispheres get too close together, it can create a chain reaction that releases a burst of radioactivity that can be very dangerous.

As the hemispheres get closer together, you get more of that reaction. What's so delicate and dangerous about this experiment is that if the hemispheres get too close together, it can create a chain reaction that releases a burst of radioactivity that can be very dangerous.

He was. He was one of the developers of the bomb and was an extremely eminent and experienced physicist. He was... the most important member of this experimental team because he was the one who was actually engaged in the process of bringing those hemispheres of beryllium closer together. How was he doing it? What was he doing? Well, this is the crazy part of the story.

He was. He was one of the developers of the bomb and was an extremely eminent and experienced physicist. He was... the most important member of this experimental team because he was the one who was actually engaged in the process of bringing those hemispheres of beryllium closer together. How was he doing it? What was he doing? Well, this is the crazy part of the story.

He was. He was one of the developers of the bomb and was an extremely eminent and experienced physicist. He was... the most important member of this experimental team because he was the one who was actually engaged in the process of bringing those hemispheres of beryllium closer together. How was he doing it? What was he doing? Well, this is the crazy part of the story.

He was actually using a common flathead screwdriver to keep the two sections of beryllium apart. Unfortunately, at the critical moment, The screwdriver slipped. The two hemispheres of beryllium crashed together and they released this intense burst of radioactive radiation. Slotin, who was right next to the apparatus, took the worst of it.

He was actually using a common flathead screwdriver to keep the two sections of beryllium apart. Unfortunately, at the critical moment, The screwdriver slipped. The two hemispheres of beryllium crashed together and they released this intense burst of radioactive radiation. Slotin, who was right next to the apparatus, took the worst of it.

He was actually using a common flathead screwdriver to keep the two sections of beryllium apart. Unfortunately, at the critical moment, The screwdriver slipped. The two hemispheres of beryllium crashed together and they released this intense burst of radioactive radiation. Slotin, who was right next to the apparatus, took the worst of it.

And he actually died in the infirmary eight days later of radiation poisoning. The rest of the physicists in the room, all eminent scientists, all survived the initial burst. Some of them unfortunately died before their time, potentially due to the radiation dose that they received.

And he actually died in the infirmary eight days later of radiation poisoning. The rest of the physicists in the room, all eminent scientists, all survived the initial burst. Some of them unfortunately died before their time, potentially due to the radiation dose that they received.

And he actually died in the infirmary eight days later of radiation poisoning. The rest of the physicists in the room, all eminent scientists, all survived the initial burst. Some of them unfortunately died before their time, potentially due to the radiation dose that they received.

There certainly was. For instance, an obvious way to do it would have been to suspend one of the hemispheres of beryllium, and then the other hemisphere could be raised from the bottom. In that case, if anything slipped or there was any problem, gravity would have just pulled the two hemispheres apart, and that would have been much less of a dangerous way to conduct the experiment.