The world's most dangerous object that was mistakenly created by experts claimed the lives of the people who made it.
The incident took place during the famous Manhattan Project, a collaborative effort by American researchers and scientists. This ambitious effort, carried out during World War Two, aimed to develop the first atomic bomb.
The main focus of the project was a chunk of plutonium called the "demon core." This piece posed significant difficulties because it had the potential to cause disastrous accidents.
Scientists wanted to find out the exact point at which these cores could start explosive nuclear chain reactions, known as going "supercritical."
To investigate, they conducted detailed experiments, carefully interacting with the core to see how it reacted.
The first accident happened in 1945 when scientist Harry Daghlian, against the rules, was alone with the demon core. He made a fatal mistake and dropped a brick on it, making the core become supercritical.
In a desperate effort to fix his error, Daghlian tried to retrieve the brick but received a deadly amount of radiation instead.
Therefore, he was killed by radiation poisoning less than a month later.
Despite the horrifying consequences, the scientific community persisted in their research. However, in May 1946, another accident occurred involving the demon core.
This time, "cowboy scientist" Louis Slotin, known for his daredevil approach to experiments, was involved.
While working on the project, the team was putting two half spheres made of beryllium around the plutonium core. However, by accident, the halves came into contact with each other.
This accidental contact leads to a rapid reaction, pushing the core into a supercritical state.
A devastating surge of radiation filled the room, causing danger to the lives of every scientist present. Unfortunately, Slotin's proximity to the core proved fatal.
After these terrible accidents, scientists and institutions quickly made important changes to their safety rules. To prevent further tragedies, they updated their protocols.
The demon core itself was melted down as a result of the fatal incidents. The remaining material was then used to create smaller cores for other weapons and missiles in the US collection.
Even now, the demon core is still considered the most dangerous object ever made. Its reputation for extreme peril continues to endure.
The "Elephant's Foot" in Chernobyl is considered the most dangerous object on Earth. Spending just five minutes in a room with it can lead to death within two days.
This deadly mass of radioactive waste was formed during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine. It emits high levels of radiation that can cause dizziness, fatigue, hemorrhaging, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever.
The Elephant's Foot consists of concrete, sand, and melted nuclear fuel, weighing around two metric tons.
It remains dangerously radioactive even decades after the disaster, and its lethal radiation can be absorbed by a person in just 300 seconds.
