Failure™ Magazine

You Glow Boy!

The story of a teenager’s nuclear ambitions.

Written by Jason Zasky   Filed under Science & Technology

Glowing Forward
Today, one burning question remains unanswered: If given enough time could Hahn have constructed a functional model reactor? “Given the possibilities of experimenting in a backyard lab he got about as far as anybody could reasonably expect to get,” opines Silverstein. “But I don’t think he could have gotten much further. Realistically he wasn’t going to obtain this stuff [radioactive elements] in sufficient quantity or purity to go much beyond where he was at.”

Of course, if Hahn ever decides to resume his experiments, the World Wide Web might make it easier to pursue his nuclear dream. “He did everything without the help of the Internet,” says Silverstein, but acknowledges that some materials might be easier to come by nowadays. “David told me, ‘I could get beryllium now,’” clearly implying that he found a supplier online.

At the moment Hahn isn’t a threat to anyone’s health—except possibly a foreign enemy. After serving a tour of duty in the Navy—stationed on, of all places, a nuclear aircraft carrier—he decided to re-enlist in the military, putting off the chance to continue his formal education. “I think David still harbors scientific ambitions,” says Silverstein, noting that his commanding officers took great pains to keep him away from the nuclear works on the USS Enterprise. “He is still interested in uranium and nuclear materials but right now he’s in the Marines. So in the near term, at least, he’s not going to get anywhere.”

Ironically, Hahn may have more natural ability than most individuals who pursue careers in the sciences, yet has never achieved what most people would consider conventional success. It seems that Hahn could use the focus, guidance and support system that a traditional academic setting might provide. According to Silverstein, Hahn would also benefit immeasurably from a healthier perspective on nuclear energy: “He was never terribly philosophical or reflective about the world at large or even anything having to do with nuclear power. He was very focused on the science and that was it. He didn’t think about the ethics, the morality, the economics—anything, but simply can it be done?”

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