The Demon Core: The Sphere That Killed Twice

This story is about the Demon Core, a sphere of plutonium that killed twice and caused the deaths of two scientists during the Manhattan Project. This true story uncovers the deadly consequences of radiation exposure in history. In 1945, a softball-sized sphere of plutonium killed a 24-year-old physicist. Nine months later, it killed again when a screwdriver slipped during a demonstration. Watch as we uncover: How Harry Daghlian's hand-stacking experiment went horribly wrong Louis Slotin's fatal "tickling the dragon's tail" demonstration The horrifying 25-day and 9-day deaths from radiation poisoning Why they kept using it after the first death How these tragedies changed nuclear safety forever This isn't just a story about nuclear physics—it's a chilling reminder that overconfidence and invisible dangers are a lethal combination.