Summary of Meet the Boy Who Built a Nuclear Reactor in His Garden

00:00:00 - 00:25:00

David Hahn, the "Radioactive Boy Scout," built a nuclear reactor in his garden in 1994. He was only 14 years old at the time, and he used radioactive material he found in smoke detectors and industrial supplies. The reactor was confirmed to be working by a geiger counter, which emitted rapid beeps. David eventually shut the reactor down when radiation levels began to climb, but his obsession with atomic energy never went away. He was arrested in 2007 and charged with stealing smoke detectors, and he died in 2016 from accidental intoxication.

• 00:00:00 David, known as the "Radioactive Boy Scout," built a nuclear reactor in his garden in 1994. The reactor was confirmed to be working by a geiger counter, which emitted rapid beeps. Though many people would look at him curiously today, back in the early 1990s, smartphones were rare, and David was captivated by the geiger counter's beeps because they meant the reactor was working. Babel, a language learning website, offers short and fun classes that can help you learn a new language in just three weeks.
• 00:05:00 14-year-old David Hahn became an Eagle Scout by researching atomic energy merit badges and interviewing doctors about radioactive isotopes. However, his father became concerned about David's activities and found someone to take care of him. David moved on to his mother's potting shed to build his first high-tech lab.
• 00:10:00 David builds a nuclear reactor in his garden using radioactive material he found in smoke detectors and industrial supplies. He gets help from friends in the nuclear energy industry and eventually succeeds in creating fuel for a reactor. Problems arise along the way, but David perseveres and completes the project.
• 00:15:00 David built a nuclear reactor in his garden using household items, and it was eventually determined that he had created a subcritical reactor. However, he was not successful in creating a functioning nuclear breeder reactor.
• 00:20:00 David built a nuclear reactor in his garden without any safety equipment, and when radiation levels began to climb, he decided to shut it down. After his lab was discovered, his mother committed suicide, and he was discharged from the navy on medical grounds, David's obsession with atomic energy never went away. He was investigated by the FBI in 2007, and he was charged with stealing smoke detectors. He was later arrested and his face was covered in sores. David died in 2016 from accidental intoxication after swallowing a cocktail of alcohol, fentanyl, and allergy medication.
• 00:25:00 David created a nuclear reactor in his garden, but it's difficult to know what he would have achieved if he had been given the tools to explore his talent. It's possible he would have become a scientist of great renown, but sadly we'll never know. Thanks for watching! Check out my new podcast, Random Interesting Facts, available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.