In the world of science there have been hundreds of amazing events, but none like the one that happened to Anatoli Bugorski. A Russian scientist mistakenly stuck his head in a particle accelerator and strangely survived. Bugorski is the only survivor of such an accident that left strange side effects on his body.
On July 13, 1978, a Russian scientist was performing a routine check of the Synchrotron U-70 particle accelerator. Something seemed amiss, so he decided to visually inspect, believing that the device was off. In a life-changing maneuver, the Russian scientist stuck his head into the particle accelerator, and instantly and unexpectedly, billions of protons shot through his skull. Fortunately, he survived and, in fact, is still alive in his 80s, but he carries with him strange side effects, such as half of his face not aging.
Failed Safety Mechanisms
The accident occurred while Bugorski was doing his thesis at the Protvino Institute of High-Tech Physics in the Soviet Union at the time. In 1978, the Synchrotron U-70 was the most powerful device of its kind in the country, and Bugorski’s work included repairs to it.
However, on June 13, the safety mechanisms failed, the ignition light did not work, and the Russian scientist, believing that the particle accelerator was off, stuck his head in to inspect the fault. Instantly, a luminous beam of protons traveling at almost the speed of light pierced the scientist’s skull, and he could not escape the accident.
The Accident
The trillions of particles penetrated from the crown of his head and passed through to his face, exiting near his nose. Surprisingly, the Russian scientist explained that he did not feel any pain at the time, after all, it was only billions of particles at the speed of light. Rather, he described his experience as a dazzling flash “brighter than a thousand suns.”
Keep in mind that the radiation emitted by the particles does not kill instantly, but over time. To put into context the danger to which Anatoli Bugorski was exposed, it is worth mentioning that according to scientists, exposure to 5 Gray (measurement of radiation absorbed by an object) is synonymous with death in less than two weeks. But, science does not always act according to the books. According to calculations, the proton beam that hit the Russian’s head measured 2,000 Gray.
Anatoli was aware of having exposed his head to the particle accelerator, and although there was no instant pain, he was hospitalized pending the consequences. He was kept under observation, and the outlook did not look hopeful. According to the radiation measurement, the prognosis for the Russian scientist was imminent death. But the unexpected happened, Bugorski did not die.
Strange Consequences
Of course, he had serious consequences. The left side of his face developed wounds later. Swelling and blisters invaded that side of his face and head; however, he eventually recovered from the wounds. The hearing in his ear on the same side, however, ended up severely affected, with constant chronic ringing known as tinnitus.
Although the skin on his face recovered, his nerves did not fully recover and were partially damaged. Half of his face was progressively paralyzed after the incident. But one of the most striking consequences, and one that has only become apparent over the years, is that the halves of his face do not age in the same way. In recent photographs, it can be visibly observed how the wrinkles on his right side are not the same as on the left. This means that the affected side does not age at the same rate as her whole body.
His brain was not too badly affected, but he also developed seizures and mental fatigue. Although his cognition is in excellent condition and, in fact, he managed to finish his PhD and continued to work with the particle accelerator. This case is extraordinarily unique, Anatoli Bugorski was lucky to remain alive after exposing his head to the most powerful particle accelerator of his time.
This story was originally published in Spanish in Ecoosfera
