Atomic Artifacts

Radiolab

WNYC Studios

Science, Natural Sciences, History, Society & Culture, Documentary

4.6 • 43.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2020

⏱️ 42 minutes

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Summary

Back in the 1950s, facing the threat of nuclear annihilation, federal officials sat down and pondered what American life would actually look like after an atomic attack. They faced a slew of practical questions like: Who would count the dead and where would they build the refugee camps? But they faced a more spiritual question as well. If Washington DC were hit, every object in the the National Archives would be eviscerated in a moment. Terrified by this reality, they set out to save some of America’s most precious stuff.

Today, we look back at the items our Cold War era planners sought to save and we ask the question: In the year 2020, what objects would we preserve now?

This episode was reported and produced by Simon Adler with editing from Pat Walters and reporting assistance from Tad Davis.

Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Test SSS, here we go.
0:09.0	Hey everybody, it's Chad.
0:11.8	This is a time when a lot of us have been pushed into some really difficult circumstances.
0:16.1	It's also a time that I think has clarified priorities.
0:22.5	About what's important.
0:25.0	I've certainly been thinking a lot about this recently.
0:27.3	Who needs my support right now?
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0:34.6	They definitely need that support.
0:37.1	But there are also the cultural and art institutions that are struggling badly right now.
0:43.6	That I hope survive because they help me see outside my own head.
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