An urban legend about a 17 year-old who built a nuclear reactor in his backyard turns out
to be true Welcome to Inform Overload, Im your host Johnny
Rogers and if youre new to the channel, we tell you about the most interesting news stories
we find on the internet, and we make them more entertaining.
This is one of those stories that you say to yourself there is no way in hell this could
be true.
Usually urban legends are pure fiction that someone at some point made up, but upon searching
this story on the popular fact checking website snopes.com we found out its actually true.
In 1994 a 17-year-old eagle scout built a nuclear reactor in his mothers backyard which
resulted in a superfund cleanup.
Now if youre also wondering what a superfund cleanup is, its a program designed by the
United States federal government to cleanup sites contaminated with hazardous substances.
Luckily for this boy scouts mom it was established in 1980.
In 1991 the boy scout named David Hahn earned the first and probably only Atomic Energy
merit badge.
He earned this badge by making a drawing which displayed how nuclear fission occurs and by
building a model reactor using - are you ready - a juice can, coat hangers, soda straws,
kitchen matches and rubber bands.
Doesnt sound like much, but it was the spark that led him to much grander creations.
As a kid David was obsessed with chemistry and even came to a scout meeting with a glowing
orange face because he overdosed on a chemical he was taking to test methods of artificial
tanning.
That chemical, was Jersey Shore.
No it was something much more difficult to pronounce, so I went that route.
He also was responsible for blowing a large hole in the wall of a boy scout tent after
he accidentally lit up a pile of powdered magnesium.
The reason his laboratory was moved to a shed in the backyard is hilarious as well, one
night he was in his parents basement when an explosion rocked the house.
Upon inspection they found a semi-conscious David with smoking eyebrows after he ignited
red phosphorus by hitting it with a screwdriver.
After reaching the high status of Eagle Scout, David driven by his ambitions for greater
things wanted to create a breeder reactor which is an energy generating nuclear reactor
that produces more fuel than it consumes.
He did this simply by collecting most of the radioactive materials from household items
and extracting the radioactive components.
Hence the reason we need child proof locks on cabinets.
He even went as far as posing as a professor to purchase uranium from a Czechoslovakian
firm.
Hanh then took his radioactive radium, mixed in his isotopes from household items, wrapped
them in aluminum foil creating a makeshift core for the reactor.
Although it all came to an end when police received a call that David was stealing tires
from a car in a residential neighborhood.
When the police searched his home and his car they found over fifty foil-wrapped cubes
containing a grey powder, small disks and cylindrical metal objects, lantern mantles,
mercury switches, a clock face, fireworks, and assorted chemicals.
David warned the police that his tool box was radioactive and so they called in the
emergency response team fearing it was an atomic bomb.
The superfund cleanup cost approximately 60,000 dollars and sent David into a deep depression.
Unfortunately this child prodigy passed away on September 27th, 2016 at the age of 39 due
to alcohol poisoning.
So kids if you love chemistry, be inspired by this story, but learn from his mistakes.
David acted with little to no regard for the dangers involved in the materials he was dealing
with and his careless actions led to his ultimate demise.
Now with that lets entertain your brain with some comments
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Ya_boi_90 I bet everyone 1,000,000$ that this comment
wouldn't get featured﻿ flufferella conspiracy
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Midnight Dazzle I hate Johnny's teeth
Nelson This guy ain't even funny﻿
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think Davids parents should have been more involved or is staying out of their kids way
more beneficial.
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From Inform Overload, Im Johnny Rogers and until next time take care.