Book · 2005 · Technology & Engineering
The Radioactive Boy Scout
The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and His Homemade Nuclear Reactor
- mentions
- 6
- person
- 1
- podcast
- 1
- episodes
- 2
- recommendations
- 3
If it hadn't been found uh by a gentleman named Ken Silverstein who ended up writing a very large piece in Harper's magazine and then a book called The radioactive Boy Scout colon the true story of a boy in his backyard nuclear reactor.
What they say about it
- Article and book by Ken Silverstein“Ken Silverstein's article at least if not his book”4
The best things said about it
But you would be remiss and not reading Ken Silverstein's article at least if not his book on David Hahn.
Uh of a a kid named Taylor Wilson who got the radioactive Boy Scout uh book from his grandmother as an 11-year-old Science Kid and operating under supervision and oversight and getting real experts to help uh actually became the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion at the age of 14.
Why people recommend it
The Radioactive Boy Scout by Ken Silverstein is a chilling true crime and investigative journalism book detailing the story of David Hahn, a teenage boy who attempted to build a nuclear reactor in his backyard shed. Josh Clark recommended both Ken Silverstein's original Harper's Magazine article and the subsequent book on multiple episodes of Stuff You Should Know in 2024 and 2026. Clark explained that without Silverstein's thorough investigative reporting, the remarkable and alarming story likely would have remained an obscure local newspaper clipping. The book chronicles David's obsessive scientific curiosity, which began when he chose the atomic energy merit badge as a Boy Scout—a selection the local scoutmaster noted had never been chosen in the history of the troop. Silverstein's account traces how David systematically gathered radioactive materials from household items, smoke detectors, and commercial products, eventually triggering federal radiological alarms and environmental cleanup responses. Clark also discussed how the book inadvertently inspired subsequent generations of young science enthusiasts, noting that another young prodigy, Taylor Wilson, received the book as an 11-year-old and went on to achieve nuclear fusion under proper scientific supervision. The podcast praised Silverstein's comprehensive narrative for capturing the complex intersection of youthful scientific ambition, inadequate regulatory oversight, and potential domestic nuclear hazards.
Every mention
Josh Clark but you would be remiss and not reading Ken Silverstein's article at least if not his book on David Hahn 6
“this story was... may have just gone fairly unnoticed as a pretty localized local newspaper item. If it hadn't have been found by a gentleman named Ken Silverstein who ended up writing a very large piece in Harper's Magazine and then a book called The Radioactive Boy Scout Colon, The True Story of a Boy in His Backyard Nuclear Reactor.”
“and the scout master said I think he told the writer of the book no one had ever chosen that before in the history of the troop”
“but you would be remiss and not reading Ken Silverstein's article at least if not his book on David Hahn”
“if it hadn't been found uh by a gentleman named Ken Silverstein who ended up writing a very large piece in Harper's magazine and then a book called The radioactive Boy Scout colon the true story of a boy in his backyard nuclear reactor”
“uh of a a kid named Taylor Wilson who got the radioactive Boy Scout uh book from his grandmother as an 11-year-old Science Kid and operating under supervision and oversight and getting real experts to help uh actually became the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion at the age of 14”
“if you want to know more about the nuclear or radioactive Boy Scout David Han there's a lot of stuff out there um but you uh would be remiss and not reading Ken Silverstein's uh article at least if not his book on David Han uh”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“well thankfully we don't have to end it on that sad note because Livia found this other great story of a kid named Taylor Wilson who got the radioactive Boy Scout book from his grandmother as an 11 year old science kid and operating under supervision and oversight and getting real experts to help actually became the youngest person to”