In 1997, a British scientist voluntarily inhaled toxic gases and injected radioactive elements, and he just wanted to prove his research theory.
Some people think it's crazy, the radioactive element he demonstrated, but other scientists believe that a small amount can kill 200 million people!
In the end, the scientist succeeded in proving his theory, but after his death, his body was still buried in a lead coffin? Could it be that his theory was falsified?
Now that 19 years have passed, what happened to the scientist's lead coffin?
Make bold assumptions – experiment on yourself
Science knows no borders, and exploration knows no bounds. A British scientist, in order to test the radioactivity of plutonium, actually injected it into his own body, this bold experimental spirit is breathtaking.
This man was Eric Warris, who was known to the world about the dangers of radioactive materials, and who not only studied, but also did not hesitate to rise to the challenge and proposed a very risky experimental method.
Japan is the country that knows best how terrible radioactive materials can be, and the Fukushima power station nuclear leakage caused by the earthquake in Japan has brought a terrible experience to thousands of people, not only people, but also fish in the sea.
For a long time, the world was frightened when it saw the word radioactive material, but the relevant research was not stopped because of this, but the more it was studied, the more it was studied.
In the 40s of the 20th century, after the discovery of plutonium, it caused panic again, and people were surprised by its powerful radioactivity, and they didn't know how it was circulated, saying that 1 gram of plutonium could poison 200 million people.
This has created a fear that plutonium is seen as "the world's second most poisonous" and is shunned.
However, Eric disagreed, believing that this fear stemmed from ignorance, and that the world's understanding of plutonium was still superficial, after all, at the time of development, 26 scientists had accidentally touched it, but they did not die, which gave Eric a hypothesis.
He felt that radioactive materials were not as horrific as people thought, and even if they were toxic, they would not cause such a horrific mortality.
To prove this, he took the bold step of experimenting to prove the toxicity of radioactive materials. But even if the mouse was experimenting, he couldn't find the right person to test the human reaction for him.
After seeking a human test subject to no avail, he had a very risky idea: to experiment on himself.
The experiment was rejected - it was undoubtedly a search for death
At that time, many people felt that there was no need to confirm this, and that it would be nice for everyone to be more vigilant about radioactive materials, but Eric, who was in pursuit of the truth, was going to conduct an experiment.
After injecting radioactive gas, Eric injected a plutonium solution directly into his body, which was a risky thing to do, and the others would have been afraid to retreat. But Eric not only did it himself, but also guided his assistant in the process with a calm attitude.
At the time, many people thought that his actions were tantamount to suicide, but surprisingly, Eric did not die of poison.
It was as if he had gained immunity to plutonium, proving that the danger of the substance was indeed exaggerated, but of course, it was still very risky, and this insane scientific dedication was something that many scientists could not do in their lifetimes.
But Eric saw it as a worthwhile sacrifice because it advanced humanity's understanding of the radioactive element, and if he hadn't done it, there would never have been similar experimental data, and people would always be in awe and unknown about it.
I have to say that Eric, as a scientist, is not ordinarily high, but also has a strong madness.
became a mad scientist that everyone avoided
Although Eric claims that he poses no danger to the environment or others, the government monitors him as a mobile radioactive source.
His clothing, food, and excrement were strictly controlled, and his life was inconvenient. When he goes out, he must carry a collection device with him to avoid leaking radioactive material, and finally hand it over to a special radiation protection department for disposal.
This made Eric very embarrassed in social situations, and even found it difficult to socialize normally, and for a while he even found this kind of experiment to last a lifetime too boring.
But no matter how boring the experiment was, he always insisted that even if he was the most radioactive person in the world, unless he had intimate contact with others, the radioactive material in his body, that is, a ray that could only emit a few centimeters and disappear, would cause almost zero damage to others.
Eric died in 2004, but the plutonium in his body would take tens of thousands of years to decay, and disposing of the body became a scientific problem.
Eventually, the government ordered a half-meter-thick lead coffin to seal the body completely and bury it deep underground, partly to prevent radiation, and partly to wait for a way to dispose of it later.
Now that 19 years have passed, what happened to the lead coffin buried deep underground?
What to do with the lead coffin? What do you think of Eric?
Eric's dedication to science is awe-inspiring. But it is worth considering that our contempt and ignorance of the natural world are at the root of this tragedy.
Man and nature should not be on opposite sides, but should coexist in harmony and mutual benefit. Only in this way can we avoid more Eric-like sacrifices and move towards a true scientific civilization.
While Eric's choice is a sacrifice and contribution to science, we should not lose sight of humanity and the value of life in our pursuit of knowledge.
The development of science needs to balance multiple aspects, and it is not possible to ignore the interests of individuals or even the whole for the sake of temporary results.
The existence of Eric's lead coffin today tells us that there is still a group of people who are willing to sacrifice their lives for science, and there really is such a group of people who are crazy to the point of incomprehensibility in the pursuit of truth.
As for the solution, the scientists have not thought of a safer way so far, so they can only let Eric continue to sleep in the lead coffin.
Eric's story teaches us not only the spirit of science, but also the reflection of human nature. Whether we should continue this practice of risking our lives for knowledge remains to be discussed and reflected on by all sectors of society.