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Author Topic: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39  (Read 6182 times)

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Online SZonian

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This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« on: November 14, 2016, 08:25:53 pm »
David Charles Hahn, who gained some notoriety in 1994 for attempting to build a homemade breeder nuclear reactor for a Boy Scout project in his mom's Michigan backyard shed, has died at the age of 39. He passed away on September 27, but his death did not draw much media attention until Monday.

Breeder reactors are a type of nuclear reactor that generate more fissile material than they consume. They have been researched extensively for decades, and a number have been built, but the approach has largely been abandoned.

Hahn’s travails were most notably chronicled in a 1998 article in Harper’s, which described his story in detail. (That article was later expanded into a book, The Radioactive Boy Scout.)

[excerpted]

http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/11/this-fall-the-radioactive-boy-scout-died-at-age-39/
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Offline Idaho_Cowboy

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2016, 09:57:59 pm »
Talk about stranger than fiction. I did some crazy things as a kid, but never enough to turn the backyard into a super-fund site for clean up.
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Offline EC

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2016, 10:00:05 pm »
Dusting this off as appropriate:

Quote from: Idaho_Cowboy on November 14, 2016, 09:57:59 pm
Talk about stranger than fiction. I did some crazy things as a kid, but never enough to turn the backyard into a super-fund site for clean up.

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Offline ABX

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2016, 10:06:45 pm »
Do try this at home...
http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-A-Fusion-Reactor/

Seriously, there is an instructable on how to build it.
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Offline Ghost Bear

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2016, 10:23:39 pm »
The linked article does not mention a cause of death, but his Wikipedia entry indicates that he had a number of health problems, not all of them related to unsafe handling of radioactive material (but some of them may have been...)
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Offline kalee

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2016, 04:17:18 am »
I remember his story. He was a troubled young man, bipolar and schizophrenia. I pray he is at peace.

His latest brush with law was when he was arrested in 2007 or 8 for stealing smoke detectors to obtain radioactive materials.  Pictures of him at that time indicate he was most likely suffering from the effects of radiation poisoning. He had refused testing at an earlier date and doctors had expressed concern that he would die early.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2016, 04:26:42 am by kalee »
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Offline Frank Cannon

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2016, 04:24:24 am »
Damn. This guy was way above my pay grade. The best project our troop ever endeavored in was smuggling booze into summer camp.

Every once in a while I will mix a Amaretto/Vodka/Tab for old times sake. 
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Offline DB

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2016, 04:32:27 am »
No comment.
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Offline Free Vulcan

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2016, 05:23:49 am »
And I thought I was cool when I made gunpowder as a child.
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Offline DB

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2016, 06:23:59 am »
Quote from: Free Vulcan on November 15, 2016, 05:23:49 am
And I thought I was cool when I made gunpowder as a child.

I made nitroglycerin in 8th grade... Among other things...
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Offline Frank Cannon

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #10 on: November 15, 2016, 07:01:20 am »
Quote from: DB on November 15, 2016, 06:23:59 am
I made nitroglycerin in 8th grade... Among other things...

Translation: Meth Lab?
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Offline roamer_1

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #11 on: November 15, 2016, 07:13:24 am »
Quote from: Frank Cannon on November 15, 2016, 04:24:24 am
Damn. This guy was way above my pay grade. The best project our troop ever endeavored in was smuggling booze into summer camp.

Every once in a while I will mix a Amaretto/Vodka/Tab for old times sake.

I was the guy who could find unauthorized entry to the cabin, and knew how to spring the lock on the strongbox where they put your stuff, once confiscated.

I still pick a Master Lock blindfolded now and then too...
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Offline DB

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #12 on: November 15, 2016, 08:15:01 am »
Quote from: roamer_1 on November 15, 2016, 07:13:24 am
I was the guy who could find unauthorized entry to the cabin, and knew how to spring the lock on the strongbox where they put your stuff, once confiscated.

I still pick a Master Lock blindfolded now and then too...

Picked a few locks myself... Wasn't too bad at breaking into cars either...
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Offline DB

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2016, 08:28:07 am »
Quote from: Frank Cannon on November 15, 2016, 07:01:20 am
Translation: Meth Lab?

I had never heard of meth in 8th grade. Grass, shrooms, heroin and acid, yes... It was the 70's before coke was big...

Made pipe bombs (black powder and silver powder), balloon bombs (both acetylene and hydrogen), rockets (you name it), tennis ball cannons and flamethrowers... Go karts, minibikes and other odd things on wheels.

Just a normal country boy...
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Offline Weird Tolkienish Figure

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #14 on: November 15, 2016, 09:57:14 am »
I'm somewhat good at picking locks, however, no need to pick them:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbYVmRNzGLc&t=202s
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Offline DB

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #15 on: November 15, 2016, 10:11:33 am »
Quote from: Weird Tolkienish Figure on November 15, 2016, 09:57:14 am
I'm somewhat good at picking locks, however, no need to pick them:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbYVmRNzGLc&t=202s

No evidence with picking.
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Offline roamer_1

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #16 on: November 15, 2016, 10:21:59 am »
Quote from: DB on November 15, 2016, 08:15:01 am
Picked a few locks myself... Wasn't too bad at breaking into cars either...

Hey, me too - fell out of practice since the 90's though... After electronic keys and onboard computers, it got too complicated... Repo-style tow trucks became all the rage, as brutish a lift as they are, and a deft hand is left to find other enterprises ... So I hack computers now :)

Too bad I always had this cursed conscience, or I'd be a rich man... But I have always found it necessary to assuage my penchant for breaking and entering, the thrill of trespass, by limiting it to reasonably honest means - and the odd gray area, when I can find it :) Such a waste of talent.
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Offline Gefn

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #17 on: November 15, 2016, 11:20:19 am »
Boy, all I ever did in Girl Scouts was sell cookies and go on a yearly camping trip and tell ghost stories.

Still, I feel sorry for this man. If he died from radiation poisoning, that is one miserable horrible death.

« Last Edit: November 15, 2016, 11:20:45 am by Freya »
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Offline Weird Tolkienish Figure

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #18 on: November 15, 2016, 11:23:25 am »
Quote from: Freya on November 15, 2016, 11:20:19 am
Boy, all I ever did in Girl Scouts was sell cookies and go on a yearly camping trip.

Still, I feel sorry for this man. If he died from radiation poisoning, that is one miserable horrible death.


No no no no... radiation poisoning, I believe, is something that happens only a few days after exposure to a large amount of radiation. It truly is a horrible death. There was a guy whose name escapes me who died during an accident with a reactive core practicality accident during the Manhattan Project:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin


If he died of something, it could have been something else caused by radiation.
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Offline Gefn

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #19 on: November 15, 2016, 11:31:58 am »
Quote from: Weird Tolkienish Figure on November 15, 2016, 11:23:25 am

No no no no... radiation poisoning, I believe, is something that happens only a few days after exposure to a large amount of radiation. It truly is a horrible death. There was a guy whose name escapes me who died during an accident with a reactive core practicality accident during the Manhattan Project:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin


If he died of something, it could have been something else caused by radiation.

I didn't know that about the Manhattan Project. Glad to know that.

I've read about Hiroshima and Nagasaki and accounts of people who died from radiation poisoning days maybe week or two after. Back in High School. We read John Hershey's book and another account- I can't recall who wrote that.....

I remember  my HS history teacher - it was 12th grade honors- told the class if they dropped the bomb pray you are at ground zero. You wouldn't want to survive the thing.

I had nightmares for weeks. I was 16! 
« Last Edit: November 15, 2016, 11:33:23 am by Freya »
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Offline Cripplecreek

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #20 on: November 15, 2016, 11:37:54 am »
Well there's a story that doesn't really say much of anything.
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Offline Gefn

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #21 on: November 15, 2016, 11:40:05 am »
Quote from: Cripplecreek on November 15, 2016, 11:37:54 am
Well there's a story that doesn't really say much of anything.

Ok, so I will say "Good morning @Cripplecreek " -

And now let's get back to the thread. :)
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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #22 on: November 15, 2016, 12:30:22 pm »
The story should have mentioned cause of death. 
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Offline Ghost Bear

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #23 on: November 15, 2016, 01:53:47 pm »
Quote from: Weird Tolkienish Figure on November 15, 2016, 11:23:25 am

No no no no... radiation poisoning, I believe, is something that happens only a few days after exposure to a large amount of radiation. It truly is a horrible death. There was a guy whose name escapes me who died during an accident with a reactive core practicality accident during the Manhattan Project:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Slotin


If he died of something, it could have been something else caused by radiation.

Yes, the so-called "Demon Core" had a bad history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon_core
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Online SZonian

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Re: This fall, the “Radioactive Boy Scout” died at age 39
« Reply #24 on: November 15, 2016, 03:01:37 pm »
Quote from: Cripplecreek on November 15, 2016, 11:37:54 am
Well there's a story that doesn't really say much of anything.
LOL!

I thought the same thing, but posted it as one of those "human interest" stories...figured folks here would fill in the blanks.
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