B Reactor Health Physics Exhibit: Where's My Cutie Pie?

The Where’s My Cutie Pie? panel in the Health Physics Exhibit.

See exhibit panel for specific image credits.

Main Text
Text at the top reads: “Several stories exist as to how the Cutie Pie was named. One story states that, upon seeing the small device, an employee asked, ‘Well, isn’t that a cutie pie?’”

Text at the bottom continues: “Secrecy pervaded every corner of the workplace during the Manhattan Project. This included assigning code names like ‘Cutie Pie’ or ‘Poppy’ to radiation detectors and radiological survey equipment to disguise the true purpose of the equipment.

“At the start of Manhattan Project, scientists at the Metallurgical Lab used commercial detectors already on the market for those working with radiation and x-rays. Health physicists brought these detectors with them to Hanford. They quickly realized that these devices were inadequate to monitor the types and levels of radiation expected in the reactors and modifications were needed.

“The modifications began with establishing policies for routine maintenance and calibration schedules. After the war, Hanford’s Health Instruments Section designed instruments tailored to the needs of those working in a nuclear reactor.”

Text reads: “Workers were required to scan for contaminants after completing a job. Protective gear was mandatory when working in a radiologically contaminated area.”

Text reads: “Many of the detectors available during the Manhattan Project were bulky, with some weighing up to 20 pounds. This issue eventually resulted in the development of smaller and lighter devices in the years after the Manhattan Project.”

Exhibit Panel Description
Two black-and-white photographs along the bottom show workers in full protective gear using instruments to take radiation readings. In a third photograph at the bottom right, a fully protected worker holds a clunky, rectangular metal box.

Visit This Exhibit Panel
In-person visitation of the B Reactor is only authorized on guided tours offered by the Department of Energy.