Stars Kenneth Tobey and Whit Bissell are the draw of this poorly conceived Science Fiction Theatre story, given their popularity with genre fans.
Story about the intersection of nuclear research with understandable security restrictions and controls makes sense, especially given the Cold War era in which the show was produced. However, the content here is trivial.
Suspense was adequately sustained, but in a shaggy-dog story fashion, with an unsatisfactory, too pat ending. Whit Bissell's guilty conscience issue is interesting in the context of the "Oppenheimer" movie's great success that revives the morality issues of the original Manhattan Project objectives and fallout (pun intended).
What really bothered me watching the episode nearly 70 years later was an obvious myopic omission. The "human interest" subplot including a radioactive test dog on the loose (befriended by a young boy) is presented, especially by the host Truman Bradley, without any question -none of the doubts expressed in the main story about scientist Bissell's second thoughts about his research.
Many years have passed and now many groups are serious about the entire issue of using animals, so often callously, in research projects with the broad excuse that their demise or mistreatment will benefit mankind, a clear parallel to the weighing of harm and benefit of nuclear research, and latterly nuclear power plants with their harmful waste products. The cavalier attitude here regarding use of animals in research reminds me of the same era's idiotic "Duck and cover" PSAs deluding the public about how school children might be protected during a nuclear attack.
Story about the intersection of nuclear research with understandable security restrictions and controls makes sense, especially given the Cold War era in which the show was produced. However, the content here is trivial.
Suspense was adequately sustained, but in a shaggy-dog story fashion, with an unsatisfactory, too pat ending. Whit Bissell's guilty conscience issue is interesting in the context of the "Oppenheimer" movie's great success that revives the morality issues of the original Manhattan Project objectives and fallout (pun intended).
What really bothered me watching the episode nearly 70 years later was an obvious myopic omission. The "human interest" subplot including a radioactive test dog on the loose (befriended by a young boy) is presented, especially by the host Truman Bradley, without any question -none of the doubts expressed in the main story about scientist Bissell's second thoughts about his research.
Many years have passed and now many groups are serious about the entire issue of using animals, so often callously, in research projects with the broad excuse that their demise or mistreatment will benefit mankind, a clear parallel to the weighing of harm and benefit of nuclear research, and latterly nuclear power plants with their harmful waste products. The cavalier attitude here regarding use of animals in research reminds me of the same era's idiotic "Duck and cover" PSAs deluding the public about how school children might be protected during a nuclear attack.
