At a time when most teenagers are still unfamiliar with nuclear physics and nuclear fusion, a 12-year-old boy from Texas, USA, has successfully built a nuclear fusion device after four years of hard work. Not only that, he has also achieved a nuclear fusion reaction. He is expected to break the Guinness World Record for being the youngest person to accomplish this feat.
According to a report by NBC DFW on February 9th, the boy named Aiden McMillan resides in Dallas and is currently in 7th grade. He could potentially be recognized as the youngest person in the world to achieve nuclear fusion.
McMillan began his research project on developing a nuclear fusion device at the age of 8. Prior to assembling the initial prototype of the device, he spent two years studying the concepts of nuclear physics, followed by a long process filled with repeated experiments, perseverance, and problem-solving.
At the age of 12, he completed the nuclear fusion device and successfully detected the neutrons produced by the fusion reaction.
He said, “We detected neutrons, yes! I was almost in tears at that moment because the feeling…is hard to describe. It felt like the end of a long journey.”
McMillan stated that he undertook this project purely out of curiosity and interest, rather than for personal gain. The construction of the entire nuclear fusion device lasted for two years, causing concern among his family, especially regarding safety issues. It took some effort for him to convince his mother to allow him to build the device.
For McMillan, this achievement not only marks the end of a journey but also signals the beginning of a hopeful future in the fields of science and innovation.
McMillan is currently in the process of applying for certification from the Guinness World Records, hoping to become the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion.
According to Guinness World Records, the current record is held by Jackson Oswalt from Tennessee, who achieved nuclear fusion on January 19, 2018, just a few hours before his 13th birthday.
Oswalt was inspired by another teenager, Taylor Wilson, and decided to build his own nuclear fusion device. Wilson completed this device at the age of 14.
Previously reported by Epoch Times, nuclear fusion can provide clean, environmentally friendly, and inherently safe energy with abundant fuel supply, unlike the nuclear fission energy used by current nuclear power plants.