# Radioactivity merit badge--UL or fact? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 19, 2001, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384 "2001-06-19T21:01:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/1 "2001-06-19T21:01:01Z")
Can anyone tell me if this story of a young man building a working reactor in his garage is at all based in fact, or merely a UL? [http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html](http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html) ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/2 "2001-06-19T21:54:28Z")
What you have there is a (possibly) shorter clipping from a much longer Harper’s article. Now, I won’t say everything they publish is fact, but it was the title story of a reputable monthly magazine, so I tend to believe it. Also, I remember that when it was published, it seemed pretty well researched. Also note that the reactor did _not_ work, really. OTOH, every reference to the event I can find online is just referring to the original story, so who knows. ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/3 "2001-06-19T21:57:00Z")
That tale is so full of holes that you are in “Imminent Danger” of being known as a sucker. I wouldn’t even elevate the story to UL. ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/4 "2001-06-19T21:59:09Z")
For what it’s worth the article (in condensed form of course) appeared in _Reader’s Digest_. ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2001, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/5 "2001-06-19T22:10:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bare \* > \*\*That tale is so full of holes that you are in “Imminent Danger” of being known as a sucker. > > I wouldn’t even elevate the story to UL. \*\* I agree, but that is a pared down version. [This](http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1111/n1782_v297/21281407/print.jhtml) is, I believe, the whole article. It’s still somewhat apocryphal, though ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/6 "2001-06-20T01:13:35Z")
Both stories name names, places, and dates. A few phone calls should confirm or deny the whole thing. Any Dopers near Commerce, Michigan? ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/7 "2001-06-20T02:07:56Z")
The Atomic Energy Merit Badge is real. See the following page for detailed information and merit badge requirements: [http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~griffin2/scouts/atomic\_energy.html](http://www.ece.cmu.edu/~griffin2/scouts/atomic_energy.html) You also questioned the existence of the “Radioactive Boy Scout” The story is entirely true. Apart from Harper’s, the story was also reported by CBS and Sunday Times (UK). I don’t have linkes for them, though. There was a recent thread on this topic - whether or not it is illegal to design and build a model atomic bomb. There are probably some cites in there. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/8 "2001-06-20T16:04:07Z")
As a huge Brundvand fan, I know that being reported, however widely, does not make something true. Oh well. I guess I’d better grab ahold of the telephone and see if I can dredge up the 'Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/9 "2001-06-20T16:23:44Z")
But here is an earlier thread on this subject: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=25238](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=25238) I, too, am still not convinced. . . . ---
**Author:** ![missdavis102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@missdavis102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missdavis102)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/10 "2001-06-20T17:42:47Z")
Boy Builds Nuclear Reactor in Garage is probably hyperbole. According to the boy scout website, the atomic badge does in fact exist. The page listing requirements is [http://www.usscouts.org/mb/mb024.html](http://www.usscouts.org/mb/mb024.html) and none of the indicated activities includes “build a reactor in your garage or basement”. Some questionably fun activities, yes, but not that one. Probably some goombah saw the badge somewhere and decided to ‘up the ante’ as it were. I’d say strictly UL, based in, as usual, fact. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radioactivity-merit-badge-ul-or-fact/69384/11 "2001-06-20T17:49:03Z")
I am trying to remember the details but I think the spin on this story is misleading. I believe the kid tried to collect an example of each element known to exist. It was the radioactive stuff that everyone was bent about though. It wouldn’t make a good story to talk about a kid that collected iron, copper, or sulfur. So everyone focused on the really nasty things that he was able to collect. At least that’s what I’m remembering