Sinister Spy Gadgets Fuel Soviet and US Tensions

Uncover the realities of life in East Germany, from daily struggles and state surveillance to the enduring spirit that shaped its unique cultural identity and history.

On April 26, 1986, a routine safety test at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant spiraled into the worst nuclear disaster in history. But the explosion wasn't caused by a single mistake—it was a series of catastrophic mistakes.

The reactor at the center of the Chernobyl disaster was one of the most powerful machines ever built. But it contained a series of design flaws that made it uniquely vulnerable under the wrong conditions.

Being exposed to radiation from the fallout of the Chernobyl disaster was like "getting a thousand chest X-rays at once."