If you enjoy learning more about this sort of stuff, I'd highly recommend "Atomic Adventures" by James Mahaffey.
The book recounts all sorts of crazy nuclear research, mostly from the 50s-70s, including using entirely unshielded reactors to test the effects of radiation on various materials, and attempts to build a nuclear-powered jet.
The book recounts all sorts of crazy nuclear research, mostly from the 50s-70s, including using entirely unshielded reactors to test the effects of radiation on various materials, and attempts to build a nuclear-powered jet.
https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Adventures-Islands-Forgotten-I...