Meet the 16-Year-Old ‘Fusioneer’ — Youngest Ever to Build a Nuclear Fusion Reactor

The Blaze ^ | 9/1/11 | Liz Kimas

[Nachum]

Taylor Wilson has met with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Taylor Wilson has a website called “Taylor’s Nuke Site.” Taylor Wilson is only 16 years old, and for at least six years — since he built his first bomb out of a pill bottle at age 10 — Wilson has been working with radioactive materials.

Last month, Mental Floss — a magazine and blogsite for science junkies — (via CNN) named Wilson its Mad Scientist of the Month and has the prodigy’s amazing — and at times slightly disturbing –story. Here are a few interesting snip-its about this “Fusioneer:”

Wilson was 14 when he became the youngest person in the world to build a nuclear fusion reactor. Getting his start on Fusor.net, Wilson joined the ranks of only 30 hobbyist ‘Fusioneers’ before him who were able to fuse two atoms together. He began collecting radioactive material in relatively common items like smoke detectors and pottery he found in an antique store that an orange uranium glaze.

[momtothree]

This boy is extremely smart. Good for him... hope he stays on the path of good!

[KoRn]

Reading this actually gives me some hope for our country. We could use 10 million more like him!

[TexasCajun]

But did Federal Fish & Game raid his garage or basement?

Probably not, he was just making bombs, not Gibson Guitars.

[Errant]

Five Minute FUSOR

Feed these devices enough power, and they can emit very dangerous neutron radiation levels as well as X-rays.

[Dallas59]

Hope Nappy protects him. Islam wants his mind.

[rbg81]

If he’s meeting with the Obama Administration, they are probably advising him on how to apply for entitlements like SSI, unemployment and food stamps.

[tanknetter]

Interesting. And very similar to the kid who tried to build a breeder reactor in his Mom's potting shed years ago.

[SuziQ]

Fusion ping!

[Errant]

Wow, that's interesting. Thanks for posting the story. Looks like he almost did himself in. His hair looks kinda thin as well as having skin damage. Hope he didn't inhale any of the dust.

Tried hell, I think he did it!

[rawhide]

...his parents have learned anything over the years, it’s to trust their son and let go. “Sometimes I‘ll blow up something in the backyard that’ll rattle all the windows in the house,” Wilson says. “My mom will come out, shake her head, and then head back in.”

Lol!