So there’s a story in the Detriot Free Press about a 17 year old that has managed to build a small fusion reaction in his basement.  From the story it doesn’t appear that this is a sustainable fusion reactor, but he is fusing atoms together…  This kid is just the 18th person in the world to create a fusion reaction… And HE’S 17!!!

Need a quick example of a natural fusion reaction?  Look up.  The sun is just one giant self-sustaining fusion reaction.  In the physics world creating a fusion reaction is a BIG deal, hence the reason why only 18 other people have done it.  It’s not exactly the safest thing in the world either, according to the article the biggest dangers are high voltages and x-rays, although while I’m not a physics expert given the amount of energy expended by a fusion reaction, I would think that there would be a risk of a very large explosion.

According to the article, this kid originally wanted to build a hyperbaric chamber.  Now to me, this would seem like a safer (and infinately simpler) project for Junior to take on, his mom however wasn’t keen on a hyperbaric chamber.  She was however ok with him creating a fusion reaction in the basement.  Hmm, build a pressure chamber based on proven and tested formulas and equations, or recreate the atomic reaction that occurs on the sun using highly complex and experimental work?

I think the last line of the story provides all of the insight we need into mom’s reasoning:

I thought he was going to be a cook, because he liked to mix things.”

Right….