David was friendly with me, and wrote numerous letters beginning in the mid-2000s. He and I chatted on the telephone occasionally. He sent me a piece of beryllium that he had used in some experiments. He shared photos from his time in the US Navy. I still have most of this correspondence. I was saddened immensely when I got the news he had died.

David was a pioneer in the amateur nuclear physics hobby before it was really a community movement (and it is now, thanks largely to the connectivity and resources afforded by the Internet). When you think of nuclear science, you may not envision an activity you can do at home, with resources you can readily obtain. You probably picture “eggheads” ensconced in the ivory towers of academia or walled off within some secure government lab. David boldly thought otherwise. He decided to do nuclear experiments at home involving radioactive materials, neutrons, and nuclear transmutation. Circumstances were not favorable to him. He didn’t have the benefit of highly qualified mentors. He came into public awareness as the result of a heavy-handed law-enforcement intervention and remediation of radiologically-contaminated property in Michigan, and subsequent media attention has largely focused on his challenges with mental health and brushes with the law.

David was shockingly perceptive, albeit not well educated, in his discussion of nuclear topics. He had a very active imagination. His stream-of-consciousness conversation over the phone, and his letters, simultaneously revealed both his brilliance and his evident confusion between worlds real and imaginary. He was kind, humble, and inquisitive.

One thing I feel compelled to bring up in any discussion mentioning David is that he did not build a nuclear reactor. Ken Silverstein, who now runs the tabloid site WashingtonBabylon.com, wrote a sensationalist book called “The Radioactive Boy Scout” that is largely responsible for a lot of misunderstandings about what exactly Hahn accomplished. This biography really requires annotation by folks experienced in the technical subject matter if any sense is to be made from it.

The nuclear hobby has come a long way from David Hahn’s pioneering experience. It is far easier today to build (a,n) neutron sources at home that are orders of magnitude more intense than what Hahn achieved, fusion neutron sources that are more intense by yet more orders of magnitude, and other particle accelerators. Online flea markets and auctions have democratized access to technology such as high-resolution gamma spectrometers, neutron detectors, and radiation detector signal processing electronics. But Hahn’s story still provides inspiration by suggesting that barriers one thinks might be formidable might actually be quite low. There is enormous value in that part of his story. For those enthusiastic young folks who are privileged to have more qualified and supportive mentorship, that inspirational spark can really take them a long way on a career trajectory in nuclear science and technology.

I read about our friend Mr. Hahn back in middle school, before his story really became widespread. I thought his story was funny. I also just couldn’t believe he managed to do that. How the hell did he get all that money back in high school? If I remember correctly, it was something like $8000 to build his reactor, and that was in the mid 90s.

I’ve told some people about him, and about half the time, they say, “Wait, do you actually have to build a nuclear reactor if you’re trying to get that merit badge?”

No, you don’t. I didn’t earn that merit badge, but I’m assuming you don’t have to do something that makes the FBI go crazy over you to earn a merit badge.

I heard about how his mental illness materialized after this whole thing. That makes me sad. I have my own mental health issues, and I know how they can be. RIP, David.

Thanks for the A2A!

I’m guessing you either know that I read the book about this guy from one of my other answers, or this is just an interesting coincidence.

I personally feel bad for David Hahn, because he easily could have done irreparable damage to himself with his experiments. Although he did some questionable things to get his materials, such as stealing smoke detectors and ordering rifle scopes in order to take the stuff out of them before sending them back and getting a refund—which is theft—he really didn’t seem to be a fundamentally morally-challenged kid. After all, there are plenty of teens who steal things, learn from their mistakes, and become upstanding citizens. He was incredibly curious and enterprising, and certainly intelligent, for his age, although he was not working with accurate information—for example, most of his sources were basically corporate nuclear propaganda, or outdated sources created before the risks of radiation were fully known. Maybe if some adult in his life actually noticed what was going on, he wouldn’t have gotten into such a big mess in the end…I still wonder to this day why not a single adult had any idea what he was doing.

For those who aren’t familiar, David Hahn tried to build a nuclear breeder reactor in his backyard using various samples of radium, uranium, americium, and other radioactive things found in rifle scopes, old clock faces, smoke detectors, and the like. This Wikipedia article

Super write up in this question by Carl Willis - scroll and find it if you haven’t already done so.

As you asked for opinions - I read about David and also saw the video at weird history on youtube :-

…and I was struck by his story and left with a great deal of sadness about his case. Here was clearly an extremely intelligent young man, fascinated with a particular subject and as passionate as anyone could be - whom if only could have gotten the right guidance, assistance and steering, could have gone on to much greater things.

What Davids story shows us is that the “system” as it currently stands, is no way near good enough at capturing what people are passionate about and guiding them to the right places. Everyone is seemingly funneled in life into something they ultimately don’t want to do - great painters end up working in offices, scientists in coffee shops and talented pianists end up selling insurance. And all because there aren’t the right structures in place to “catch” and encourage peoples abilities.

This story seemed to be the best example of that….and how sad it is :(

ps - the video from youtube may contain some of the inaccuracies about the story Carl referred to below, so take with a pinch of salt.

I think he is an Eagle Scout who had an interest in nuclear science. Some of his methods were less than ideal. He did steal some smoke detectors to obtain the radioactive material in them and that was against the Scout Law. In Scouting we do not pass judgment on those who run afoul of the law. Everyone makes mistakes. Provided the mistake is a lesson, then there is no issue.

He needed a little more guidance and the direction of a qualified person to conduct the experiments he did. We encourage Scouts to put safety ahead of all endeavors. I wish he had remembered that when he was dabbling in nuclear energy.

I corresponded with David Hahn before his untimely passing and I miss him (he even sent me a piece of beryllium from his experiments). He was really the founder of the modern amateur nuclear hobby on the cusp of its great blossoming on the nascent Internet, and I wonder how his approach to experiments would have been different with access to more information, to eBay, and to other folks. The hobby community today is capable of some very exciting science at home thanks to these revolutionary resources.

David didn’t build a nuclear reactor, or even come close—and he knew that. His ambition was to create a detectable quantity of U-233 from neutron capture on natural thorium, driven by a variety of (a,n) radiochemical sources, and get some subcritical multiplication. His neutron sources were weak and would have required better instrumentation than he had, such as high-pressure He-3 proportional counters, to detect. And breeding U-233 and measuring subcritical multiplication were extreme long shots. He spent a lot of time with rudimentary gear, trying to do something hobbyists can now demonstrate convincingly and rather routinely with weak neutron sources—activate other materials. His ambition and creativity were commendable and he was a pioneer.

Nothing went wrong (technically) with his projects. He came to the attention of law enforcement and regulators, who in my view escalated the situation disproportionately, leading to sensational claims and something of a panic surrounding his case. Again, he did not build and did not come close to having a nuclear reactor in the usual sense of that term. He amassed a fair bit of unrestricted, general-licensed (or below the licensing threshold) radioactive material and undoubtedly contaminated his home environment some, leading to the destructive interventions that made the news at the time.

No it is not a protective shied as some people think. It measures the amount of radiation a worker in the field of radiation like XRay technician, Radiologists, Nuclear power plants workers etc. This way they can monitor the amount of radiation received and take proper protective measures. These badges are analysed at frequencies determined by the radiation safety officer of the organization. Thus becomes a permanent record of the employee. There are monthly, annual and life time limits set by the authorities.

There are also instruments measuring radiation instantly without having to wait for processing these badges. Since it is expensive it is not given to every worker and also the readings can be erased. It is only worn by workers in high radiation areas in addition to the badges.

Again radiation badges are not protective radiation shields. It is like taking temperature with a thermometer. Thermometers do not prevent fever.

Radiation Physicist

There was a young man by the name of David Hahn who lived in Michigan who at the age of 16–17 made an illicit radioactive source using smoke detectors circa 1996. He THOUGHT he was making a nuclear reactor but was in reality making a radioactive source that produced neutrons. He got the idea from the Boy Scouts Atomic Energy Merit badge. His mother’s property ended up being a United States EPA Superfund site to clean up.

The radioactive material involve was Americium-241.

He had significant radiation exposure, however the family never allowed medical or radiological analysis.

He died in 2016 from an overdose of alcohol and drugs at the age of 39.