SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: The Story of the Nuclear Boy Scout

David Hahn's Start in Chemistry and Physics Shaped His Path in Nuclear Science

"The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments" Sparked David's Interest in Chemistry and Radioactive Materials at Age 10

At age ten, David Hahn’s fascination with science was ignited when his step-grandfather, an engineer at General Motors, gave him "The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments." This highly illustrated book, which featured instructions reminiscent of Ripley's Believe It or Not comic strips, captivated young David—especially the stories of Marie and Pierre Curie and their discovery of radium. The idea of glowing radioactive materials mesmerized him, and his imagination filled in the gaps when the monochrome illustrations couldn’t.

By Age 12, David Studied College Chemistry Textbooks, Showing Exceptional Capability Despite Later Academic Struggles

Within two years of receiving "The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments," David was devouring his father’s college-level chemistry textbooks at just twelve years old. Despite this early display of exceptional capability, David would struggle academically, barely passing essential math and English exams needed to graduate. He didn't excel in school but continued passionately with his self-directed experiments.

Dangerous Experiments: David's Youthful Misadventures

David’s experiments grew increasingly dangerous as he entered his teens. At fourteen, he managed to make [restricted term], a highly volatile substance, on his own. He also brought powdered magnesium to Boy Scout camp to make homemade fireworks, which caught fire and burned a tent. He tried developing a self-tanning formula using Canthaxanthin, resulting in his skin turning bright orange—something he displayed at scout meetings. Frequently, his bedroom became a casualty of his pursuits: walls were damaged, the carpets permanently stained and ultimately removed.

Atomic Energy Badge Fueled David's Nuclear Reactor Obsession

1963 Merit Badge Pamphlet Became Inadvertent Guide for Radioactive Sourcing and Reactor Construction

When the time came for merit badge selection in the Boy Scouts, David chose the Atomic Energy merit badge—a rare choice in his troop. This badge, introduced in 1963, included a pamphlet produced with the nuclear energy industry that functioned as a practical guide filled with information on sourcing radioactive elements and even building one's own nuclear reactor. One project in the pamphlet, for example, was to construct a Geiger counter, underscoring the seriousness of the badge’s content.

David Creatively Interpreted Requirements, Opting For a Nuclear Reactor Over a Cardboard Model, Aligning With the Badge's Objectives

Although the requirements asked scouts to build a model ...

David Used Deception By Assuming a False Academic Persona to Correspond With Nuclear Professionals and Agencies

David Hahn adopted the persona of "Professor Hahn," claiming to be a physics teacher at Chippewa Valley High School. He began writing to nuclear professionals and agencies in search of information, materials, and schematics related to nuclear energy. Despite his letters being riddled with spelling and grammatical errors—uncharacteristic for a professor—recipients nonetheless accepted his claims. Adults in the nuclear field believed they were corresponding with an enthusiastic high school educator and were eager to assist. The only deception was David’s claim to be a professor rather than a high school student; his questions and interactions about nuclear science were otherwise genuine.

Among those he corresponded with most frequently was Donald Erb of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who headed the department responsible for producing isotopes. Donald Erb unwittingly became David’s most significant helper, providing advice and encouragement that allowed David to acquire radioactive materials and improve his experimental techniques, such as constructing a neutron gun. Erb even advised David on technical issues—when David found his thorium wasn't converting as expected, Erb suggested he try slowing down the neutrons, recommending tritium as a solution.

David Extracted Americium-241 and Other Radioactive Materials From Products

To build his neutron gun and conduct his experiments, David sought out Americium-241, which he learned could be sourced from smoke detectors. He initially tried to steal smoke detectors from his Boy Scout camp but was caught and sent home early. Pivoting to less risky methods, he wrote to smoke detector companies, claiming he needed large quantities for a school project. One company sold him 100 broken smoke detectors for $100. When he struggled to locate the americium inside, another company helpfully told him exactly where to find it, enabling him to extract and then weld together the americium using a blowtorch.

David also learned to obtain thorium-232 from gas lantern mantles. He purchased thousands of these mantles from surplus stores and spent about $1,000 of his after-school job money on lithium batteries. He used the lithium to purify the thorium he extracted from the mantles—a process that required significant time and effort. His work produced thorium that was 9,000 times more radioactive than its natural state and 170 times the regulatory ...

David's Ambition Shifted From Neutron Guns To Breeder Reactor Due to Insufficient Uranium For Chain Reaction

Neutron Gun: Lead Block With Radioactive Material and Aluminum Foil to Direct Neutrons At Targets for Nuclear Reactions

David began his nuclear experiments motivated by curiosity about atomic science, not by any intent to cause harm. His earliest goal was to build a neutron gun, which, according to Josh Clark, is a misleading term since its construction was neither threatening nor destructive. David's neutron gun was a block of lead with a cavity hollowed out for radioactive material. This material was then covered with aluminum foil, and the neutron-emitting side would be pointed at targets to irradiate them in hopes of starting nuclear reactions. He was mainly interested in seeing if he could trigger a chain reaction, inspired by science-fiction and chemistry interests, and using guidance from an Eagle Scout merit badge pamphlet.

Heading: Out of Options for Enriched Uranium, David Builds a 1950s-Style Breeder Reactor

After experimenting with neutron guns, David realized he did not have enough uranium—enriched or otherwise—to generate a sustainable chain reaction in a standard reactor. This limitation made him pivot to constructing a breeder reactor, inspired by blueprints from one of his father's textbooks. Breeder reactors, first developed in the 1950s, are designed to create more fissile fuel than they consume, allowing sustained reactions with limited initial nuclear material.

Breeder Reactors Create More Fuel Than Consumed

Unlike regular reactors which extract energy from a fixed amount of fuel, breeder reactors use uranium-238 (the most naturally abundant uranium) to produce new fuel. Josh Clark likens this to leaving home with a car with half a tank of gas and returning to find the tank full—breeder reactors can end up with more usable fuel. David sought to replicate this principle on a small scale, using whatever radioactive materials he could gather.

David Built a Self-Sustaining Atomic Pile In His Mother's Shed

Homemade Reactor Core: Elements and Design Principles

Using the knowledge he had gathered, David crafted a very small reactor core by combining americium, radium (both harvested from his neutron guns), aluminum shavings, and beryllium. These materials were wrapped in aluminum foil. This improvised core, assembled in his mother's potting shed, functioned as a miniature breeder reactor, or atomic pile—mirroring on a far smaller scale the first controlled chain reaction achieved by Fermi.

David Tracked Reactor Radioactivity Daily; Observed Increases Indicated Growing Chain Reaction

David closely monitored his reactor’s radioactivity using a Geiger counter, checking levels daily. He noted that radiation readings were increasing over time, a sign that his reactor was indeed creating and sustaining nuclear reactions.

Radiation From David's Reactor Reached Five Houses Away, Showing Its Intensity

The runaway success of his setup became evident when David found he could ...

Police Find David's Radioactive Materials, Triggering Federal Protocols

David Hahn, just 17, attracts law enforcement attention after disassembling his homemade nuclear reactor. Pulled over on suspicion of stealing tires and wheels, David warns the officers not to open his toolbox, insisting it contains highly radioactive materials. This unusual admission prompts the bomb squad's involvement. Upon inspection, officers find that much of the car is contaminated with radiation, leading to immediate activation of the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan.

This protocol mobilizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Department of Energy, and state and local authorities—none of whom have ever dealt with a situation quite like a teenager dabbling with nuclear materials in suburban Michigan. The radioactive substances found during the stop include thorium in a shoebox in the trunk, with radium and americium secured back at David's mother’s potting shed. Early investigations focus exclusively on David’s car, as he does not initially reveal the existence of the shed or the full scope of his experiments.

Potting Shed Contamination Requires Extensive Cleanup

Several months after David’s arrest, a more thorough interview with an expert from the State Department of Public Health reveals the potting shed laboratory and the extent of his nuclear work. By then, David's mother has already disposed of much of the radioactive material—likely in standard trash destined for a local landfill—an act that spreads contamination far beyond the original site. David later remarks, “the authorities got the garbage and the garbage got the good stuff,” referencing that lumps of americium and radium ended up somewhere in a garbage pile outside Clinton Commerce Township.

Testing at the family property still reveals substantial radiation, including a vegetable can reading radiation at a thousand times background level, prompting authorities to designate the potting shed a Superfund site. Between June 26 and 28, 1995, federal response teams execute a $60,000 operation to dismantle the shed, excavate surrounding dirt, and pack everything—now considered low-level radioactive waste—into sealed barrels marked with radiation hazard symbols. All contaminated materials are transported and buried in ...

Post-Incident, David Faced Depression, Instability, and Failed Nuclear Experimentation

After the investigation and resulting publicity, David struggled with depression. Classmates taunted him, calling him "Radioactive Boy," and he endured deep stigma from being labeled the "Radioactive Boy Scout." In the years following the incident, David sought a new path by briefly pursuing an associate's degree in college before serving in both the Navy and the Marines. While he was honorably discharged in both cases and notably served on the USS Enterprise, a nuclear submarine, he never worked with the nuclear systems aboard. Despite these efforts, stability eluded him.

David's Adult Years Mirrored His Mother's Struggles With Mental Illness, Substance Abuse

By 2007, David was unemployed, and his mental health had deteriorated, echoing the challenges faced by his mother, who also struggled with paranoid schizophrenia and depression. Throughout his 30s, the FBI and local police responded to tips that David might be attempting reactor experiments again. A landlord reported missing smoke detectors, later found dismantled near his garage, prompting concern, but no radioactivity was detected, and David denied any recent reactor activities, insisting he hadn't engaged in such work for over a decade.

David's Cocaine Addiction, Medication Non-compliance, Led To Erratic Behavior and Death At 39

FBI documents from 2010 show troubling signs: David was not taking his prescribed medications, was using cocaine heavily, and displayed increasing paranoia. That year, he faced m ...