The first visible plutonium sample discovered at the University of California repository



    A rather interesting find was made by specialists at the University of California at Berkeley . Scientists have discovered the first-ever visible sample of weapons-grade plutonium, and this sample was placed in the university’s hazardous substances repository. Discovered plutonium was created as part of the Manhattan project . The project was led by a famous physicist, Professor Robert Oppenheimer.

    Plutonium was created by a group of scientists led by the chemist Glenn Seaborg. The successful synthesis of plutonium later allowed Seaborg to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (in 1951). Synthesized plutonium is one of the milestones on the way to create the atomic bomb used in World War II.

    This plutonium sample is the first, large enough to determine mass. In addition, the sample is visible with the eye (though armed with a magnifying glass). The weight of this sample is only 2.7 micrograms. By the way, from 1979 to 2007, the sample was exhibited at the Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science. Then it was removed when the premises were renovated, and, as far as you can understand, it was lost.

    Only now a specimen has been discovered , and scientists are thinking about hoisting it in its former place. It is worth noting that the sample is too small to cause harm to human health, so visitors can safely admire the product of the human mind and hands.

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