In a tale out of Young Sheldon, where a boy genius constructed a nuclear reactor in his bedroom, fiction has now become fact. A 12-year-old Memphis, Tennessee, boy, Jackson Oswalt, successfully built a nuclear fusion reactor at home—a feat that resulted in an unexpected visit from the FBI.
Jackson, who became “obsessed with proving himself,” posted his account on X (formerly Twitter), detailing how he started this ambitious project just before his 13th birthday. He found his inspiration in a TED Talk by Taylor Wilson, who had demonstrated controlled nuclear fusion when he was 14 in 2008. “Seeing this opened my mind to the possibility that somebody so young could do something so crazy. And so, at 11 years old, I decided I was going to do the same,” he posted.
How Did He Do It?
Set on making his dream come true, Jackson initially studied the science of nuclear fusion and constructed a ‘demo fusor.’ His parents provided him with financial support, through which he continuously improved his design, although his first model was not very functional. He explained the difficulties he encountered, stating, “I rebuilt the vacuum chamber, acquired a turbomolecular pump off eBay, acquired some Deuterium for fuel (somewhat legally) and rebuilt the inner grid out of Tantalum.”
Throughout the year, Jackson ordered all the required components from eBay. After several trials and experiments, a few days shy of his 13th birthday, his reactor successfully underwent fusion. “After a few anxiety-ridden tests just a few days before my 13th birthday, I successfully achieved fusion and detected these neutrons as evidence,” he stated.
A Surprise Visit
When the news of his success spread, Jackson became the youngest individual to have achieved nuclear fusion, and he gained a place in the Guinness World Records. His research was recognized by all major media outlets, and he got to visit various startups around the nation.
But with the glory came an unplanned visit. “I also received some less enjoyable attention: one Saturday I was awakened by two FBI agents, who took a whirlwind tour of my house with a geiger counter to ensure everything was A-OK. Luckily, I was still a free man,” he wrote.
Jackson’s accomplishment is part of a long list of young masters stepping into the limelight. From his nuclear fusion discovery to India’s Aaryan Shukla astonishing the world as a human computer, today’s wonders are pushing the limits of innovation and intelligence.
