[Sgt.Reaper]

Quoting Wikipedia: "The demon core was a 6.2-kilogram (14 lb; 1 st), 3.5-inch-diameter (89 mm) subcritical mass of plutonium which went briefly critical in two separate accidents at the Los Alamos laboratory in 1945 and 1946. Each incident resulted in the acute radiation poisoning and subsequent death of a scientist. After these incidents the spherical plutonium pit was referred to as the "demon core.""

What's interesting is that a picture exists of the hand of Harry Daghlian:

Must have been a hell of an agonizing death.

[dogleg818]

I've fought fire next Los Alamos laboratory land, its a super secure place with vent tubes coming from the ground, cameras & helicopters flying guard all night.
I'm sure there's more then plutonium in that place.

[vagabond]

Very scary stuff

[LadyCPlum]

It took me a second to see that he's not holding something in his hand, that IS his hand....

[Necrosis]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin
"He received a lethal dose of 1000 rads neutron/114 rads gamma[6] in under a second and died nine days later from acute radiation poisoning. The nearest person to Slotin, Alvin C. Graves, was watching over Slotin's shoulder and was thus partially shielded by him, received a high but non-lethal radiation dose of 166 neutron/26 gamma rads.[6] Graves was hospitalized for several weeks with severe radiation poisoning, developed chronic neurological and vision problems as a result of the exposure, and died of a heart attack 20 years later.[7]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_K._Daghlian,_Jr.

"While attempting to stack another brick around the assembly, Daghlian accidentally dropped it onto the core and thereby caused the core to go critical, a self-sustaining chain reaction. Despite quick action in moving the brick off the assembly, Daghlian received a fatal dose of radiation. He died 25 days later from acute radiation poisoning.[1]"

Deadly stuff

[Sgt.Reaper]

Yes, Slotin is the other death from this core. Couldn't find any pics other than a portrait, so I did Daghlian instead. Fascinating stuff, this radiation, and I am going to be posting the Russian girl that toured Chernobyl next.

[reubthadude]

Must have been a painful way to go!

[Chax]

all this exposure to gamma rays, and no new superheroes..?

[Sharon]

Nasty

[hellgate9876]

When any country talks about manufacture and use of nuclear weapons Terminator 2 Judgement Day is what comes to mind I mean the opening scene of the movie where an entire city is shown consumed by fire including glimpses of the ending scenes of Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines.