- [Foreword]
"Genius is on the left, madman is on the right", "The ultimate genius is madman, and the ultimate madman is genius". In these words, "genius" and "madman" seem to be equated. Regarding this point of view, some people agree and some do not.
Today, let’s tell a story about “genius and madman”.
He is called the "radioactive" boy, so called because he built the " nuclear reactor " when he was 17 years old.
What countless scientists have spent decades researching and producing was actually made by a 17-year-old boy. Can you believe it? But the fact is that the "nuclear reactor" this boy built not only affected himself, but even affected the lives of 400,000 people around him.
He used his real experience to show us what is meant by "There is only a thin line between genius and madman". If this had not happened, with his smart mind and amazing talent, maybe he would have become the next Einstein.
However, reality and ideals are often inconsistent...
So, what is happening to this boy who once endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of people? What kind of life does he have?
- ["Radioactive Boy"]
At around 3 o'clock in the morning on August 30, 1994, when everyone was sleeping, there was a sneaky figure in an ordinary home in Oakland County, Michigan, USA, constantly coming and going in the darkness. Between a shed and a car in the backyard.
Just as the figure was putting things in the trunk of the vehicle, the neighbor who heard the noise came out of the room.
Under the dim street lights, the neighbor saw a boy lying on the trunk of a car.
How could someone be here in the early hours of the morning? The neighbor guessed that this person was probably a thief. So, he turned around and quietly returned home and called the police.
Soon, the police arrived at the scene and grabbed the boy lying in the trunk of the vehicle.
Seeing that it was a policeman, the boy hurriedly raised his hands and asked anxiously: "Uncle policeman, what are you arresting me for?"
Hearing this, the policeman replied seriously: "We received a report saying that Someone is stealing here."
"I'm not a thief, I'm just moving things," the boy replied calmly.
The police did not believe what the boy said. They were going to check out the trunk of the car. After hearing the noise here, people living nearby ran out of their homes, and soon they were surrounded by people.
Just as the police wanted to open the trunk, the man suddenly shouted: "No!"
But the police did not listen to his words and opened the trunk without hesitation. But what was inside shocked everyone present... What was inside was nothing else, but radioactive material .
Later, the police learned that this man, the 17-year-old boy David, actually built a "nuclear reactor" at home, and this "nuclear reactor" could affect about 400,000 people with radiation.
Hearing this, the people around him cast angry looks at David. There was some confusion and confusion in these eyes. They couldn't imagine how a 17-year-old boy could do this. Are his parents some extraordinary people?
In fact, David’s parents are ordinary people.
In this case, how did David do it?
Later, in David’s explanation, people learned the truth of the matter.
On October 30, 1976, David was born in an ordinary family in Clinton, New York, USA. After David was born, as the only child in the family, he was very doted on by his parents.
However, there were more and more conflicts and quarrels between their parents.
When David was 3 years old, his parents divorced.
- [Foreword]
"Genius is on the left, madman is on the right", "The ultimate genius is madman, and the ultimate madman is genius". In these words, "genius" and "madman" seem to be equated. Regarding this point of view, some people agree and some do not.
Today, let’s tell a story about “genius and madman”.
He is called the "radioactive" boy, so called because he built the " nuclear reactor " when he was 17 years old.
What countless scientists have spent decades researching and producing was actually made by a 17-year-old boy. Can you believe it? But the fact is that the "nuclear reactor" this boy built not only affected himself, but even affected the lives of 400,000 people around him.
He used his real experience to show us what is meant by "There is only a thin line between genius and madman". If this had not happened, with his smart mind and amazing talent, maybe he would have become the next Einstein.
However, reality and ideals are often inconsistent...
So, what is happening to this boy who once endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of people? What kind of life does he have?
- ["Radioactive Boy"]
At around 3 o'clock in the morning on August 30, 1994, when everyone was sleeping, there was a sneaky figure in an ordinary home in Oakland County, Michigan, USA, constantly coming and going in the darkness. Between a shed and a car in the backyard.
Just as the figure was putting things in the trunk of the vehicle, the neighbor who heard the noise came out of the room.
Under the dim street lights, the neighbor saw a boy lying on the trunk of a car.
How could someone be here in the early hours of the morning? The neighbor guessed that this person was probably a thief. So, he turned around and quietly returned home and called the police.
Soon, the police arrived at the scene and grabbed the boy lying in the trunk of the vehicle.
Seeing that it was a policeman, the boy hurriedly raised his hands and asked anxiously: "Uncle policeman, what are you arresting me for?"
Hearing this, the policeman replied seriously: "We received a report saying that Someone is stealing here."
"I'm not a thief, I'm just moving things," the boy replied calmly.
The police did not believe what the boy said. They were going to check out the trunk of the car. After hearing the noise here, people living nearby ran out of their homes, and soon they were surrounded by people.
Just as the police wanted to open the trunk, the man suddenly shouted: "No!"
But the police did not listen to his words and opened the trunk without hesitation. But what was inside shocked everyone present... What was inside was nothing else, but radioactive material .
Later, the police learned that this man, the 17-year-old boy David, actually built a "nuclear reactor" at home, and this "nuclear reactor" could affect about 400,000 people with radiation.
Hearing this, the people around him cast angry looks at David. There was some confusion and confusion in these eyes. They couldn't imagine how a 17-year-old boy could do this. Are his parents some extraordinary people?
In fact, David’s parents are ordinary people.
In this case, how did David do it?
Later, in David’s explanation, people learned the truth of the matter.
On October 30, 1976, David was born in an ordinary family in Clinton, New York, USA. After David was born, as the only child in the family, he was very doted on by his parents.
However, there were more and more conflicts and quarrels between their parents.
When David was 3 years old, his parents divorced.Although David's parents repeatedly assured David that they would still love him after the divorce, the breakdown of their relationship still caused great harm to David. At the beginning of
, David lived with his father, but it didn't take long for David's father to have his own family again. Although his stepmother was very kind to him, in David's eyes, he and his father and stepmother seemed like two separate families.
hits more than that. Not long after, David's mother also got married and had a new family of her own.
Both parents have their own families, and David often feels a little lonely, but he silently hides this emotion in his heart, and only licks his wounds alone in the dead of night.
On the surface, David's family is very harmonious, and he lives a very happy life. Sometimes he lives at his father's place, and sometimes he lives at his mother's place. He has two homes.
But happiness is not defined by others. Only you know whether you are happy or not.
As he grew older, David grew into a lively and active little boy and joined the Boy Scouts of the United States.
Within the Boy Scouts, many activities are often organized for these children to complete. Whenever these children complete some activities, they will receive activity rewards. The Boy Scouts also have a promotion system, which mainly consists of some obstacles. Only children can gain promotion by making their own plans and completing some challenges.
The Eagle Medal, the highest medal in the Boy Scouts, is the dream of many people. Obtaining this medal means that one has added a lot of color to his personal resume.
Therefore, many people have worked very hard for this medal, and David is one of them.
This also paved the way for his later experiences...
- [Obsessed with Chemistry]
When David was 10 years old, his grandfather gave him a "Chemical Experiment Book", which is a book about chemistry. . The basic knowledge of chemistry is recorded in detail in the
book. What is very surprising is that this book should be relatively boring and not suitable for children, but it is deeply loved by David. Since then, David has fallen deeply in love with chemistry.
The experiences of the scientists in the books deeply affected the young David. After reading this book, David began to try to do some small experiments based on the knowledge in the book. However, these small experiments seemed to open the door to a new world for David. From then on, he became even more obsessed with chemistry.
In order to learn more about chemistry, David dug out his father's chemistry book from school. From middle school to university, as long as it was related to chemistry, David would accept anyone. In chemistry, his progress can be said to be rapid. After
entered middle school, the school offered chemistry as a course. But at this time, these courses became child's play in David's mind, and he was eager to learn more knowledge about chemistry.
In the continuous learning, David's talent in chemistry gradually emerged. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to chemistry, but this also caused David to be seriously partial to science. He got perfect marks every time in chemistry, but failed in other subjects.
So, a teacher found David and asked him about the situation. When David heard what the teacher said, he said without hesitation: " I only love chemistry. My dream is to collect all the elements on the periodic table of elements. "
looked at David's determined expression and With words of affirmation, the teacher said nothing more.
After this, David became even more obsessed with chemical experiments.
After his parents knew that their son was very talented in chemistry, they had no objection to David continuing to do experiments on Guy. After all, what parent doesn’t want their child to become a talented person?
Therefore, when David was financially poor, his parents would still provide him with certain financial support. Of course, all this must be done on the basis that David is fine.
Once, when David was doing experiments at home, he accidentally ignited the carpet in the house and almost caused a fire in the house.After this time, his father began to prevent David from continuing to conduct chemical experiments at home.
But at David’s pleading, he relented. Of course, his father did not allow David to continue doing chemical experiments in the house, but drove David to the basement.
However, what he didn't know was that no matter where, danger would still occur when it should occur.
David once went camping with his Boy Scout buddies. While other children were playing happily outside, David locked himself in the tent alone to conduct experiments.
This time, David is going to use magnesium powder to make fireworks that can be set off. Magnesium powder is a flammable and explosive dangerous product. I have to say that David is very courageous.
Sure enough, not long after David's experiment started, the tent burned. Seeing this, the others brought water and quickly put out the fire, and then rescued David.
The disaster caused by the fire did not teach David a lesson.
When David was 12 years old, once, David was doing an experiment in the basement of his home. Unexpectedly, an explosion occurred during the experiment and the house burned down. David's eyes were also injured in the explosion and he was admitted directly to the hospital. After this incident, his father was furious and he would never allow David to conduct experiments at home again.
Under the pressure of his father, David agreed to his father's request, but he did not take it to heart.
After being discharged from the hospital, David moved directly to his mother's house. This time, David did not place the experiment location in the house, but in a shack in the backyard of his mother's home.
David's mother didn't know much about chemistry, so she didn't interfere in David's affairs.
After arriving at his mother's house, David locked himself in the shack in the backyard all day. He doesn't communicate with his mother and doesn't like to talk. He just immerses himself in his own world. Seeing that her son was so serious, David's mother had to tell him to be careful.
This time, without his father’s financial support, David worked part-time on his own to earn money for experiments. As time passed, David's expertise grew.
At that time, there was an Atomic Energy Medal achievement in the Boy Scouts. Later, David began to work hard in the direction of Atomic Energy . Little did he know that it was this time that completely changed the life of David's family.
- 【Building a "nuclear reactor"】
Thanks to David's efforts, when he was 14 years old, he successfully received the Atomic Energy Medal.
This time, David's winning work is a " reactor " model.
received the medal, and while accepting the applause of others, David once again had an idea in his heart. He wanted to restore this model and make it into a real reactor.
What David wants to make is not an ordinary reactor, but a "value-added reactor." Breeder reactors are to increase the energy in the world until the self-added value of energy is achieved.
As a 14-year-old child, it is indeed good for David to have such an idea. But ideas can only be ideas. In actual operation, there is a big difference between ideas and reality. When
first started to take action, David encountered many problems, the most basic of which were technical problems. In order to solve this problem, David tried every means. In order to achieve his goal, David disguised himself as a university professor, and on the pretext of giving lectures and discussions with students, he contacted some professionals and went to learn from these professionals.
In addition to these times, David contacted the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission through letters and emails. He even had an academic discussion with Donald, director of production and distribution of isotope .
David successfully convinced Donald of his identity by virtue of his professional and cultural quality.
David learned a lot from Donald.
He even knew how to obtain all trace elements. For example, americium 241 can be obtained from smoke detectors , uranium 238 and uranium 235 can be extracted from pitchblende...
Although he has mastered the methods , but it is still difficult for him to obtain these trace elements.
For example, although the element uranium is extracted from asphalt uranium ore, how to find the pitchblende ore has become a problem. In order to solve this problem, David made a neutron gun using americium-241 found through a smoke detector, hoping to obtain uranium by striking thorium, but ultimately failed.
However, David did not give up. With tenacious perseverance, David gathered the elements he needed bit by bit.
In 1994, David's "nuclear reactor" experiment officially began. However, what David didn't know was that because his experiment had no protection, the radiation caused by these radioactive elements was spreading to the surrounding area.
It wasn’t until one day when David was testing with a testing instrument at home that he discovered that the radiation concentration in his home exceeded the standard. David quickly ran outside until he detected radiation in several nearby streets. Wei Cai panicked.
Therefore, he eagerly wanted to dispose of these radioactive elements and prepared to transport these radioactive elements to other places for disposal.
So, there is the scene at the beginning.
The police arrived and after learning that David was transporting some radioactive elements, they immediately brought in professionals for testing. But at this time, the radiation caused by David is likely to have affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around him, and may even threaten groundwater resources.
As a result, David was nicknamed the "radiated" boy.
Faced with the comments and abuse from people around her, the year after the incident happened, David's mother was overwhelmed and committed suicide.
David was also sent to serve on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier by his father. However, after the service, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
In 2007, David was caught removing a smoke detector in a public area and was sentenced to 90 days in jail for theft.
In 2016, David, who was only 39 years old, died. The announced reason was poisoning caused by alcohol and drugs. Many people do not believe this reason, and more people believe that he died due to radiation from radioactive elements.
But we don’t know the real reason.
- [Summary]
A thousand-mile horse often exists, but a Bole does not often exist. I believe that if someone had given David the correct guidance, David would not have ended up like this. Maybe he would have achieved something under the correct guidance of others.
Geniuses also need correct guidance, just like the "prodigy" Fang Zhongyong who is unknown to everyone. This shows how important the guidance of parents or teachers is for a child.
I hope such a tragedy will never happen again!
After this time, his father began to prevent David from continuing to conduct chemical experiments at home.But at David’s pleading, he relented. Of course, his father did not allow David to continue doing chemical experiments in the house, but drove David to the basement.
However, what he didn't know was that no matter where, danger would still occur when it should occur.
David once went camping with his Boy Scout buddies. While other children were playing happily outside, David locked himself in the tent alone to conduct experiments.
This time, David is going to use magnesium powder to make fireworks that can be set off. Magnesium powder is a flammable and explosive dangerous product. I have to say that David is very courageous.
Sure enough, not long after David's experiment started, the tent burned. Seeing this, the others brought water and quickly put out the fire, and then rescued David.
The disaster caused by the fire did not teach David a lesson.
When David was 12 years old, once, David was doing an experiment in the basement of his home. Unexpectedly, an explosion occurred during the experiment and the house burned down. David's eyes were also injured in the explosion and he was admitted directly to the hospital. After this incident, his father was furious and he would never allow David to conduct experiments at home again.
Under the pressure of his father, David agreed to his father's request, but he did not take it to heart.
After being discharged from the hospital, David moved directly to his mother's house. This time, David did not place the experiment location in the house, but in a shack in the backyard of his mother's home.
David's mother didn't know much about chemistry, so she didn't interfere in David's affairs.
After arriving at his mother's house, David locked himself in the shack in the backyard all day. He doesn't communicate with his mother and doesn't like to talk. He just immerses himself in his own world. Seeing that her son was so serious, David's mother had to tell him to be careful.
This time, without his father’s financial support, David worked part-time on his own to earn money for experiments. As time passed, David's expertise grew.
At that time, there was an Atomic Energy Medal achievement in the Boy Scouts. Later, David began to work hard in the direction of Atomic Energy . Little did he know that it was this time that completely changed the life of David's family.
- 【Building a "nuclear reactor"】
Thanks to David's efforts, when he was 14 years old, he successfully received the Atomic Energy Medal.
This time, David's winning work is a " reactor " model.
received the medal, and while accepting the applause of others, David once again had an idea in his heart. He wanted to restore this model and make it into a real reactor.
What David wants to make is not an ordinary reactor, but a "value-added reactor." Breeder reactors are to increase the energy in the world until the self-added value of energy is achieved.
As a 14-year-old child, it is indeed good for David to have such an idea. But ideas can only be ideas. In actual operation, there is a big difference between ideas and reality. When
first started to take action, David encountered many problems, the most basic of which were technical problems. In order to solve this problem, David tried every means. In order to achieve his goal, David disguised himself as a university professor, and on the pretext of giving lectures and discussions with students, he contacted some professionals and went to learn from these professionals.
In addition to these times, David contacted the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission through letters and emails. He even had an academic discussion with Donald, director of production and distribution of isotope .
David successfully convinced Donald of his identity by virtue of his professional and cultural quality.
David learned a lot from Donald.
He even knew how to obtain all trace elements. For example, americium 241 can be obtained from smoke detectors , uranium 238 and uranium 235 can be extracted from pitchblende...
Although he has mastered the methods , but it is still difficult for him to obtain these trace elements.
For example, although the element uranium is extracted from asphalt uranium ore, how to find the pitchblende ore has become a problem. In order to solve this problem, David made a neutron gun using americium-241 found through a smoke detector, hoping to obtain uranium by striking thorium, but ultimately failed.
However, David did not give up. With tenacious perseverance, David gathered the elements he needed bit by bit.
In 1994, David's "nuclear reactor" experiment officially began. However, what David didn't know was that because his experiment had no protection, the radiation caused by these radioactive elements was spreading to the surrounding area.
It wasn’t until one day when David was testing with a testing instrument at home that he discovered that the radiation concentration in his home exceeded the standard. David quickly ran outside until he detected radiation in several nearby streets. Wei Cai panicked.
Therefore, he eagerly wanted to dispose of these radioactive elements and prepared to transport these radioactive elements to other places for disposal.
So, there is the scene at the beginning.
The police arrived and after learning that David was transporting some radioactive elements, they immediately brought in professionals for testing. But at this time, the radiation caused by David is likely to have affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around him, and may even threaten groundwater resources.
As a result, David was nicknamed the "radiated" boy.
Faced with the comments and abuse from people around her, the year after the incident happened, David's mother was overwhelmed and committed suicide.
David was also sent to serve on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier by his father. However, after the service, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
In 2007, David was caught removing a smoke detector in a public area and was sentenced to 90 days in jail for theft.
In 2016, David, who was only 39 years old, died. The announced reason was poisoning caused by alcohol and drugs. Many people do not believe this reason, and more people believe that he died due to radiation from radioactive elements.
But we don’t know the real reason.
- [Summary]
A thousand-mile horse often exists, but a Bole does not often exist. I believe that if someone had given David the correct guidance, David would not have ended up like this. Maybe he would have achieved something under the correct guidance of others.
Geniuses also need correct guidance, just like the "prodigy" Fang Zhongyong who is unknown to everyone. This shows how important the guidance of parents or teachers is for a child.
I hope such a tragedy will never happen again!
