In 1948, the Atomic Energy Commission—the predecessor to the Department of Energy—declassified a study on gamma radiation’s effects on the blood of workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory, a key site in the development of the atomic bomb. But the agency’s insurance branch moved to block its release. The reasoning? It could shatter employee morale and “place a powerful weapon in the hands” of attorneys, who might file a lawsuit on behalf of sick workers. By then the government had also conducted experiments in hospitals—including one near its nuclear facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee—that intentionally exposed patients to radiation without their knowledge.

jesus fucking christ

i mean the security code for US nuclear weapons was 00000000 for a very long time
https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/cybersecurity/launch-code-for-us-nuclear-arsenal-was-00000000-until-1977/ar-AA1vxdKa

The 'good' news is that criticality incidents like this aren't at risk of nuclear explosion or meltdown. The results are horrifying, but limited to the people in the immediate vicinity.