Pu-239/240-LANL-45-75: Engaging with Historical Plutonium Radiation Data
People: Fiona Bell
Year: 2024
Description: The invisibility of radiation makes it incredibly difficult to perceive, however, it has a devastating impact on humans and our environment. Inspired by the historical scientific significance of Los Alamos National Laboratory in designing the world's first atomic weapons, this work brings physical form to 30 years of radiation emission data. The data, collected by ESNR International Corp., consists of airborne release estimates of plutonium isotopes (Pu-239/240) in millicuries (mCi) from Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1945 to 1975. This work physicalizes the collected data by translating it into three, printed porcelain vessels representing 10 years of data. By bringing physical form to this unseen plutonium radiation data, these vessels allow us, as humans, to gain a deeper, more embodied understanding of radiation and how it has historically impacted the site of Los Alamos.
Outcomes: ACM TEI’24 Arts and Performance, Into The Realms Of Possibility Exhibition
