All What's You Should Know

Harold Agnew carrying the plutonium core of the Nagasaki Fat Man bomb, 1945 Man poses for a quick picture while innocuously carrying what could be a lunch box. It is the Physicist Harold Agnew and he is holding the plutonium core of the Nagasaki “Fat Man" atomic bomb. There is something unsettling, perhaps even scary, about him having such a calm, relaxed and pleasant demeanor while casually holding something whose imminent detonation would be responsible for tens of thousands of deaths. A somewhat odd photo and not terribly exciting unless you are aware of the details. Harold Agnew’s smile sort of disconnects the viewer from the reality of the situation. That box is the direct cause of the deaths of approximately 70,000 people. That little box will change the course of history, and he’s holding it like it’s his lunch. The oddest thing here is that a whole group of scientists had photos of themselves posing with the plutonium core. They were proud of their invention, and the fact ...