Teen creates nuclear fusion in basement (Michigan high school student, 'The Fusor')

The Barre Montpelier Times Argus ^ | Sunday November 19th, 2006

[ajolympian2004]

Thiago Olson, 17, stands near his nuclear fusion reactor, which he calls "the Fusor," at home in Oakland Township on Friday. After more than two years and 1,000 hours of research, the Stoney Creek High School senior, with a little help from his dad, built the machine.

[the invisib1e hand]

just keep him the 'ell out of Midland...

Wait! On the other hand...

[the invisib1e hand]

About 40,000 volts of electricity are charged into the chamber from a piece of equipment taken from an old mammogram machine.

...that's rich.

[Dallas59]

Fusion can be made for millionths of second...maintaining it is what only God can do so far.

[ajolympian2004]

Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills, Michigan

Website - http://www.rochester.k12.mi.us/stoneycreek

[Miss Marple]

It's Jimmy Neutron!

[NewHampshireDuo]

Fusion using deuterium is one of the easiest nuclear reactions to perform. You need a small bottle of D2 gas, a vacuum system, a specially configured chamber and a modest high voltage power supply. Fusion devices are widely used in elemental analyis, oil well logging, etc. Here we're not talking about fusion power generators, just simple vacuum tubes that produce neutrons. That said, putting together such an apparatus requires time, skill and patience. Measuring the neutron output is another challenge. Read all about fusors here: http://fusor.net/

[libs_kma]

Pffft. Let him tackle the hard stuff. Like a flux capacitor...

[Rockiette]

D2 gas? Do you think Safeway would carry that?

[End Times Sentinel]

I made penicillin in a lunch bag that fell behind my desk.

Owl_Eagle

If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.

[greasepaint]

to post 4

I don't believe that to be true.

In the not-sure-what-name experimental fusion reactor,
sustained fusion was acheived, at one point, but
not at breakeven.

[NewHampshireDuo]

Not quite but you can order a bottle for about $100.

[Past Your Eyes]

What's the big deal. I created some fusion back in high school until her father found out about it.

[R. Scott]

Ah...yea...right.

[Rummenigge]

and were do i buy tritium ?

[stevem]

Nuclear fusion as the savior of mankind has been reappearing in one venue or another for, what, forty years? This looks like a fun science project, but I s'pect it won't draw a long line of investors this week.

[bikerman]

e-Bay

[Big Giant Head]

For fun!

[RangerM]

I must have a sick mind.....


....but I can't stop thinking there must be a Columbine joke as a followup to this story.

[Sensei Ern]

When I saw the words, Fusion and Detroit, I was thinking, "Uh, oh. Mecca, Michigan...this can't be good."