Nukes Hidden All Around Us

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque has opened a new exhibit called “American Nukes. ” The show displays photographs taken by Darin Boville. Boville has traveled more than 30, 000 miles to find decommissioned nuclear weapons. He looked at them in places like military bases, rest stops, and even churches. Many people do not see these weapons as dangerous because they look like rockets or jet fighters. Some older bombs, such as the “Fat Man, ” are obvious, but most look ordinary. The exhibit shows both old and new weapons. Some have been painted by museums to look shiny, while others are weathered or hidden in woods.Boville likes the unexpected ones that appear in remote places. He has photographed over 180 sites, but he has only visited about a third of them. His goal is to take one picture of every weapon he can find. The idea started in 2022 when Boville stopped at the museum to take a photo for a Christmas card. The card’s message made him think about how people feel about nukes. He realized many do not want nuclear weapons near their homes or on holiday trees. Now he wants people to understand that these weapons still exist and can be dangerous. He does not want panic, but he wants awareness. Governments and citizens should know where the weapons are so they can discuss them wisely.