First Man-Made Nuclear Chain Reaction 80 Years Ago Today

mullokmotx

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On December 2, 1942 Enrico Fermi directed the the first man-made nuclear chain reaction in Chicago. It was part of the Manhattan Project.

BrazosBendHorn

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12:42p, 12/2/22

and Big Bertha* was there for the momentous occasion ...

Big Bertha, dubbed the world's largest drum at 8-feet-and-44-inches wide, has a rich, unique history. The drum, initially purchased by the University of Chicago in 1922, was kept in storage after the varsity football program was cut by the University in 1939.

Coincidentally, their football stadium was also a testing site for the Manhattan Project, a government-subsidized research undertaking that developed the world's first nuclear bombs during World War II. As a result, the drum was exposed to heavy amounts of radioactive energy. However, using a Geiger counter, a device that measures radiation, the University of Chicago determined in 1946 that Big Bertha is safe and gives off little to no radiation.

https://thedailytexan.com/2018/04/12/ut-austins-big-bertha-drum-literally-has-a-radiant-past/

*OK, she wouldn't actually be UT's Big Bertha for another 12 years. But she was there, nonetheless. A part of American history.