Special Screening of The Demon Core

ESSR 50th Anniversary Special Screening

THE DEMON CORE— a powerful dramatization based on the true story of physicist Louis Alexander Slotin.

A film by J. Zachary Thurman

Date: Thursday, June 26

Time: 10:00 AM. (Screening is approximately 20 minutes)

Location: Hoff Theater, Adele H. Stamp Student Union

This special screening is open to all academic faculty, staff, and students, especially those with interest in chemistry, physics, engineering, nuclear science, or history. The film is a deeply moving narrative of sacrifice, scientific discovery, and human perseverance — highlighting the true story of Slotin’s fatal attempt to prevent a criticality accident at Los Alamos in 1946. The screening will be followed by a brief Q&A session.

This is more than just a screening — in the context of the film, which is a clear example of the normalization of deviance in safety protocols during frontier science, it’s a chance to reflect on scientific legacy, ethical decision-making, and our continued role in safety and risk management across the past 50 years at the University of Maryland.

Please share this invitation with colleagues in your department. All academic attendees are welcome.

For more information, please contact:

Benjamin McGee

Assistant Director of Radiation Safety / Radiation Safety Officer

bwmcgee@umd.edu

UNPLUGGEDFILMS LLC and ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION presents

a USC School of Cinematic Arts Production.

A film by J. ZACHARY THURMAN

www.thedemoncorefilm.com