# Teenager creates fusion **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 21, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278 "2006-11-21T13:00:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/1 "2006-11-21T13:00:34Z")
[http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061119/NEWS03/611190639](http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061119/NEWS03/611190639) Pretty freaking impressive. With the internet and the like at your disposal how hard a feat is this to accomplish? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/2 "2006-11-21T13:14:25Z")
“Originally, he wanted to build a hyperbolic chamber,” Snerk ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/3 "2006-11-21T14:47:54Z")
Reminds me of that teenager years ago who was trying to make a “Ray Gun” and ended up with a huge chunk of Uranium in his trunk. Anyone remember that? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/4 "2006-11-21T14:49:07Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] “Originally, he wanted to build a hyperbolic chamber,” Snerk [/QUOTE] LOL “Mom, can I build a hyperbolic chamber?” “Absolutely not, young man!” … “Well then can I build a Fusion reactor???” “Go ask your father…” ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/5 "2006-11-21T17:38:35Z")
[QUOTE=Bear\_Nenno] Reminds me of that teenager years ago who was trying to make a “Ray Gun” and ended up with a huge chunk of Uranium in his trunk. Anyone remember that? [/QUOTE] No, but I do remember the nuclear boyscout who was trying to make a breeder reactor and ended up with a radium ray gun. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/6 "2006-11-21T18:04:14Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] “Originally, he wanted to build a hyperbolic chamber,” Snerk [/QUOTE] That’s a bit of an exaggeration. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/7 "2006-11-21T18:51:14Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] No, but I do remember the nuclear boyscout who was trying to make a breeder reactor [/QUOTE] He was among other methods, scrapping radium from watch faces. I used to _sleep_ with one of those on. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/8 "2006-11-21T19:10:46Z")
It is almost certainly one of [these.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnsworth-Hirsch_Fusor) Not easy to make, but well within the ken of a smart student. And nowhere near producing positive power output - a few X-rays and neutrons at a low voltage potential, but potentially dangerous X-ray generation as you wind up the volts (not to mention electric shock risk). Si ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/9 "2006-11-21T19:20:23Z")
> [@](#): > > About 40,000 volts of electricity are charged into the chamber… …and you’re then beten to death when your parents get the next electric bill. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/10 "2006-11-21T19:23:14Z")
Er, what is a hyperbolic chamber? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/11 "2006-11-21T19:47:45Z")
[QUOTE=JThunder] That’s a bit of an exaggeration. [/QUOTE] Groan… I didn’t even realize the misspelling, I automatically read it as “hyperbaric chamber” I do still think it’s hilarious that mom nixed one experiment in the bud and let him build a fusion reactor instead. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/12 "2006-11-21T19:51:35Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] …and you’re then beten to death when your parents get the next electric bill. [/QUOTE] You probably don’t need much current for this to work. A big capacitor can charge up to 40,000 volts fairly quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/13 "2006-11-21T20:06:29Z")
I can’t access The Onion from work, but look up their article on the Hyperbolic Chamber…it’s hysterical. It’s the _funniest thing ever!!!_ Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/14 "2006-11-21T20:08:15Z")
[QUOTE=athelas] Er, what is a hyperbolic chamber? [/QUOTE] A room full of exaggerations. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/15 "2006-11-21T21:32:06Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] He was among other methods, scrapping radium from watch faces. I used to _sleep_ with one of those on. :eek: [/QUOTe] The real radiation problems began when he found a small jar of the radium paint and then concentrated it. Unless you’ve done that, you’re probably okay. [http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html](http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/radscout.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/16 "2006-11-22T00:05:25Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] No, but I do remember the nuclear boyscout who was trying to make a breeder reactor and ended up with a radium ray gun. [/QUOTE] You may be misremembering. Read the link below. He started out to build a ray gun. He later got the idea to make a breeder reactor, but anyway, the end result was the same: He ended up with a huge chunk of radioactive material in his trunk. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/17 "2006-11-22T00:08:39Z")
That should be, “Read the link ABOVE” ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/18 "2006-11-22T00:57:07Z")
Jeez man, next thing you know these little rapscallions are going to start building ‘suitcase nukes’ in their garage, or accessing programs written by reclusive scientists that hack into NORAD. Where’s John Lithgow or Barry Corbin when you need them? :smack: That reminds me: I need to hit up the Russian eBay to see which warhead they’ve got on sale this week. Tripler www.eBayski.kom ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/19 "2006-11-22T05:52:46Z")
When I was a teenager, I was obsessed with achieving fusion too. But I don’t recall physics being involved. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278/20 "2006-11-22T06:04:54Z")
[QUOTE=athelas] Er, what is a hyperbolic chamber? [/QUOTE] A very funny misspelling of Hyperbaric Chamber. Tris [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenager-creates-fusion/381278.md?page=2)