Teen Built Nuclear Device in His Basement.

1. Jenny
   November 22nd, 2006 at 12:26 pm

   Hey, I've still got a year until I'm his age! Maybe I'll try my own particle accelerator!

2. ted
   November 22nd, 2006 at 1:06 pm

   Knowing very little about nuclear science, I'm not sure that it's fusion that he's achieved. Possibly fission - the splitting apart of atoms - but even that seems really improbable.

   It had to be a very expensive proposition.

3. panzyfaust
   November 22nd, 2006 at 1:28 pm

   I'm a bit confused on the fusion thing? Didn't the EU just dump 11 billion into the construction of what is supposed to be the first fusion reactor? I heard they were worried that it won't work when its completed 8 years from now.

4. panzyfaust
   November 22nd, 2006 at 1:33 pm

   Ok, I got it straight. The EU plant will be the first to create sustained nuclear fusion. Small instances of momentary fusion have been created by at least 18 other amateur scientist, not to mention the big boys at the full fledged physics labs. So it basically amounts to a very time consuming and expensive lab exercise, but a personal triumph for the kid, nonetheless. Rock on, future physicist!

5. dead_red_eyes
   November 22nd, 2006 at 2:47 pm

   Wow, what an intelligent kid !!!

6. pld
   November 22nd, 2006 at 2:53 pm

   Lab exercise? Maybe, but I'd be pretty proud if I created a small star in my basement.

   Yes, it's definitely fusion. I believe one teen created a fission reactor too, IIRC in Michigan, this resulted in government officials in protective suits disassembling the thing and generally lots of trouble for the kid. Fusion is not radioactive, so this shouldn't be a problem for anyone. And that you can't accidentally blow up your city is an added bonus.

7. Moon
   November 22nd, 2006 at 6:13 pm

   Nobody creates sustainable fusion in their basement. Perhaps he's created some "kind" of fusion, but I don't think we have reached a new level of science here.

8. Clod
   November 22nd, 2006 at 6:28 pm

   pld, I believe you are referring to the "Radioactive Boy Scout" case:

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hahn

   http://www.amazon.com/Radioactive-Boy-Scout-Frightening-Homemade/dp/08 12966600/sr=8-1/qid=1164237961/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-8367673-7323658?ie= UTF8&s=books

   I live nearby. Maybe there's something in the water here? Or maybe its our automotive heritage - the highest density of engineers per capita in the U.S. Fosters a certain spirit of backyard scientific experimentation.

9. lewis
   November 23rd, 2006 at 6:45 am

   dont they mean nuclear fission???

10. lewis
    November 23rd, 2006 at 6:45 am

    dont they mean nuclear fission??

11. pld
    November 23rd, 2006 at 2:40 pm

    NO.

12. robo man
    November 27th, 2006 at 11:35 pm

    Hey - has anyone of authentic credentials investigated the contraption? It is possible that the small ball of lightthat appears to be a fusion reaction is merely the plasma generated by the gas in a vacuum in the presence of high voltage input into the device. These 'devices' can be purchased in Spencers gifts in the mall,
    in this case the plasma generated arcs to the outside of the ring for a cool effect. Remember the Borg on startrek and the crazy sleep device they plug into? Well, with some magnetics applied, plasma does some really cool things.

    Now, consider the Japanese,(on Discovery channel several years ago) they have created a similar device that creates a gigantic plasma ball in the center of a highly pressurized containment sphere that if could be made self sustaining, would create essentially a mini sun like the one above your head. The heat generated by the plasma ball could be harnessed into usable energy.

    The trick is to have left over energy after some energy is used to power the fusion device itself. I may be wrong, the Japanese device may have been a pure vacuum, i can't remember.

    At any rate, it takes a very expensive lab environment to make atomic measurements to reveal that fusion has occured with any given set of gas molecules.

    Plasma is the visable electrification of helium gas molecules or any other gas that is easily electified.
    Just because the molecules hover in a ball does not mean its fusion.

    The Japanese fusion device uses partical accelerators to set off the fusion chain reaction which in turn creats a large plasma ball(like the size of a large beach ball) in a very large containment device. The amount of electomagnetic energy required is enormous
    to contain and sustain the fusion plasma ball.

    If they were successful, we would have endless supply of safe nuclear energy.

    I wrote this in general terms.

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