ABSTRACT
The history of nuclear testing in the United States is filled with stories of misunderstanding, misinformation, even criminal negligence on the part of the people in charge of conducting the tests and keeping civilians safe from the effects of radiation. After 1963, nuclear testing moved underground and lost its cultural immediacy as the fear of fallout dissipated. The fear engendered by the Bravo test was reinforced for Americans by increased public awareness of the dangers of the nuclear tests carried out in Nevada. The Nevada Test Site program was initially shrouded in secrecy, as were most aspects of the American nuclear program. Journalists were awestruck and enthusiastic in their descriptions of nuclear explosions. Newspapers published schedules of upcoming tests and directed the public to prime viewing spots. During the period when nuclear testing and the danger of fallout became part of the national consciousness, radiation-engendered creatures also captured the public’s imagination.
