Did the Manhattan Project's Enrico Fermi and fellow physicists honestly weigh the risks to Chicago of conducting early radioactive experiments in an improvised bunker (Chicago Pile 1) beneath U of C's old football field? WBEZ's Katie Mingle looks into this juicy question. Mingle and U of C's radiation safety officer took Geiger counter readings at select points around campus, all within normal range. That's how easy it is to dispel any rumors of ongoing contamination, but the decision to go ahead with the reactor's construction in an urban setting still befuddles. The whole thing was meant to happen in Red Gate Woods southwest of the city but labor issues steered the project back to campus. Funny that Red Gate is where Chicago Pile 1 is entombed today. [WBEZ]
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