For most American children, the name Pluto conjures up either one or both of these images: Pluto the Disney character and/or Pluto the (former) planet.  As a cartoon-obsessed kid with glow-in the dark solar system stickers, I had a deep affinity for both dog and planet.  It wasn't until my work on The Pluto Files that I learned about several lesser-known Plutos. 

Pluto the Myth: With the exception of Earth, planet names are derived from Roman and Greek mythology.  The ancient Romans knew Pluto as god of the underworld. Virgil, the classical Roman poet, wrote about Pluto and his golden palace in The Aeneid.

Atomic number 94: In 1940, scientists at UC Berkeley synthesized element 94 by bombarding uranium-238 with deuterons.  Named after the planet, this new addition to the periodic table of elements joined the nuclear arms race. The second atomic bomb that destroyed Nagasaki was made of Plutonium-239.

Fat Man, codename for the atomic bomb detonated over Nagasaki.

 Photo courtesy of the Department of Defense.

The Ultimate Flying Object: In 1957, American toy company WHAM-O introduced a flying plastic disc that would later become a staple on college campuses. Capitalizing on America's fascination with UFOs and growing interest in space, WHAM-O named their invention the Pluto Platter.  A few years later it was renamed the Frisbee