WEBVTT 00:02.369 --> 00:06.506 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GUEST: Our neighbor worked with Enrico Fermi during the Manhattan Project. 00:06.506 --> 00:11.544 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And he was responsible for doing some of the reactor design. 00:11.544 --> 00:17.684 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And these blocks were used in constructing the first two reactors ever, uh, in the world. 00:17.684 --> 00:22.088 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% When they were decommissioning, he was able to get this block. 00:22.088 --> 00:27.494 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Subsequently, since I was trained in nuclear science, gave it to me. 00:27.494 --> 00:31.531 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The original was constructed under the stands at the football field at the University of 00:31.531 --> 00:32.766 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% Chicago. 00:32.766 --> 00:35.035 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% APPRAISER: Mm-hmm. 00:35.035 --> 00:38.371 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GUEST: And after, uh, they had done some of the initial experiments, they took it apart 00:38.371 --> 00:40.673 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and took it out to a site outside of Chicago. 00:40.673 --> 00:43.043 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% APPRAISER: Mm-hmm. 00:43.043 --> 00:45.879 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GUEST: And then rebuilt it, and did some more experiments, and then designed a completely 00:45.879 --> 00:49.449 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% different system. 00:49.449 --> 00:56.122 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% And then, after several years, abandoned those reactors and moved on to a, a different design. 00:56.122 --> 00:59.492 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: The brick that you have brought today is actually from a reactor that was 00:59.492 --> 01:03.129 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% known as the Chicago Pile-1. 01:03.129 --> 01:09.736 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% On December 2, 1942, the scientists gathered and ran tests. 01:09.736 --> 01:13.473 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% One was successful, and that was at the beginning of the Manhattan Project. 01:13.473 --> 01:17.477 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Which, less than three years later, as we all know, resulted in the atomic bombs that 01:17.477 --> 01:20.280 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% were dropped in World War II. 01:20.280 --> 01:27.153 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The reactor was composed of approximately 45,000 of these bricks. 01:27.153 --> 01:29.923 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% It's very high-quality graphite. 01:29.923 --> 01:32.258 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% The reactor was extremely simple because it was the first one. 01:32.258 --> 01:34.794 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 01:34.794 --> 01:39.132 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: It was basically a tall cube shape, 57 layers of approximately 45,000 of these 01:39.132 --> 01:41.734 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% bricks. 01:41.734 --> 01:46.606 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It was in a simple wood frame, and it had absolutely no shielding whatsoever from any 01:46.606 --> 01:50.710 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% kind of radioactive spillover that might have occurred. 01:50.710 --> 01:55.281 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They had guys with buckets of cadmium salts standing in the room to try and pour over 01:55.281 --> 01:56.749 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% the reactor if things started to go south. 01:56.749 --> 01:58.218 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 01:58.218 --> 02:01.321 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% APPRAISER: The experiments worked. 02:01.321 --> 02:04.824 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And they all broke out a bottle of Chianti that somebody had brought... 02:04.824 --> 02:07.193 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% GUEST: (chuckles) 02:07.193 --> 02:11.531 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: ...and drank a toast to their success, and signed the label of the Chianti bottle. 02:11.531 --> 02:16.102 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Which is the only reason we know who was there, because there are no written records saying 02:16.102 --> 02:18.838 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% what scientists actually participated in this experiment. 02:18.838 --> 02:21.241 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 02:21.241 --> 02:23.042 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: You had mentioned something about having the brick tested for radioactivity? 02:23.042 --> 02:25.411 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Right. 02:25.411 --> 02:30.550 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I had a, an appointment at the University of New Mexico in the radiopharmacy program. 02:30.550 --> 02:35.088 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And we brought the brick down and put it on a counter over a weekend and detected no, 02:35.088 --> 02:37.557 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% uh, radioactivity whatsoever. 02:37.557 --> 02:39.759 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% So we're safe standing next to it. 02:39.759 --> 02:40.927 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% APPRAISER: I'm, I'm very happy to hear that. 02:40.927 --> 02:43.663 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% GUEST: (chuckles) 02:43.663 --> 02:45.398 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% APPRAISER: The small pieces which are three inches by three-quarter-inch by three-quarter-inch... 02:45.398 --> 02:47.534 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm-hmm. 02:47.534 --> 02:51.437 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER:...have sold at auction anywhere between $2,000 and $4,000. 02:51.437 --> 02:58.278 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% There is currently one of them available online retailing for $6,500. 02:58.278 --> 03:04.350 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% You have an entire brick, which is extremely rare, and your brick is 11 by four by four. 03:04.350 --> 03:08.154 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So at auction, I would say this piece would be worth easily $16,000 to $20,000. 03:08.154 --> 03:10.657 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Mm! 03:10.657 --> 03:13.092 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: And given that you have an entire brick, I would go more towards the high end 03:13.092 --> 03:14.594 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% of that estimate. 03:14.594 --> 03:14.761 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% I've never appraised anything like it.