12-year-old US boy builds home nuclear fusion device

McMillan developed an interest in nuclear fusion during Covid-19 lockdowns, spending time reading about nuclear physics and how fusion reactions work.

He told local news channel NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth that he built early prototypes out of curiosity and believes nuclear fusion "is the energy of the future."

Nuclear fusion is the process that powers stars such as the sun, in which atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus and release large amounts of energy. It does not produce carbon dioxide like fossil fuels and is often viewed as a potential clean energy source.

Aiden McMillan, a 12-year-old U.S. student and his nuclear fusion machine. Photo from X

McMillan acknowledged safety concerns during the project, saying there were "alarm bells" as he built the device at home, with his mother seeking detailed information about possible risks and how to mitigate them, Newsweek reported.

Four years after first encountering the concept, the seventh grader said last month that his device had generated neutrons, which can indicate that fusion reactions occurred, describing the moment as "like the end of a long, long journey."

He has applied to Guinness World Records to be recognized as the youngest person to build a working nuclear fusion device. The current record holder is Jackson Oswalt, who achieved the feat in 2018 just hours before turning 13, according to Interesting Engineering. Oswalt started his project when he was 11 and was later visited by FBI agents, who swept his house with a Geiger counter to ensure no radiation was detected from his experiments.