Book Review: The Radioactive Boy Scout : The True Story of a Boy and His Backyard Nuclear Reactor

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

The Radioactive Boy Scout : The True Story of a Boy and His Backyard Nuclear Reactor     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Ken Silverstein
Class/Genre:   Non-Fiction   Biography   True Crime

David Hahn was the kind of teenager regarded as a "geek" by his peers. He was fascinated by science, particularly chemistry and physics, and during the 1990's he experimented in a potting shed at the back of his mother's house, attempting to build a atomic breeder reactor. His path to this project was paved by parental indifference, a rather single minded interest in optimistic science books for children and teens, and the failure of his Boy Scout leaders, junior high and high school teachers, and parents to attempt to understand the scope of David's projects.

When a late step in his project was complete, it began emitting a fairly high level of radiation. Alarmed, David dismantled everything, placed it in the trunk of his car, and aimlessly drove through the streets of his suburban Detroit neighborhood. A coincidental report of a hubcab thief roaming the area brought him to the attention of a roving police car, and his attempts to warn them of the radiation danger finally brought the scope of his activities into the full light of day. A "superfund" cleanup of the backyard shed ensued.

Silverstein interviewed David, his parents, step-parents, teachers, and Boy Scout leaders for this book, and while it's short, it packs a pretty scary punch, especially when explaining how David acquired the materials for his abortive breeder reactor. He haunted antique shops to acquire radium from reflective clocks, he invested in dozens of smoke detectors and gas lantern mantles to extract other radioactive elements. He also corresponded with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (!), posing as a science teacher, and received quite a bit of helpful advice.

Woodstock - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Woodstock - RAM