03 August 2011

Arrest averts Darwin Award?

A man in southern Sweden, has been arrested after apparently trying to create a nuclear reactor in his kitchen.

The 31-year-old bought radioactive waste from foreign companies and picked apart the components in a smoke detector

It was only later he contacted Sweden's nuclear power agency that he realized his project was illegal. Police came to his apartment and confiscated the material. The young man was arrested but later released.

The man had kept a blog that detailed his efforts. The blog, titled Richard's Reactor, begins: My project is to build a working nuclear reactor. Not to gain electricity, just for fun and to see if it's possible to split atoms at home.

The Swedish nuclear authority were doubtful that he could have succeeded. In building a fission reactor.

But "Richard" isn't the first to try and create a homemade nuclear reactor. In 1994, David Hahn, a 17 year old boy scout, attempted it in his mothers house and was eventually arrested. Hahn was later rearrested in 2007 after allegedly stealing a number of smoke detectors from the hall of his building. He appeared to have sores on his face that indicated exposure to radioactive materials.

What to say about this? I suppose you have to admire his ambition but I would give him minus five million for common sense!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mind boggling

CherryPie said...

It does make you wonder doesn't it?

jams o donnell said...

It beggars belief doesn't it!

SnoopyTheGoon said...

What to say about this? Dumb beyond comprehension, but I guess that during the Sweden's cold winters one gets up to all kinds of weird projects.

I mean if one can't play outside in the sand box...

jams o donnell said...

I can certainly think of better ways to spend my spare time Snoopy!

Gledwood said...

.... but hey on 2nd thoughts: if it saves money on the leccy bills who gives a flying fuck??!?

and where the HELL did they get radioactive materials: don't you need highly refined uranium 235?

Gledwood said...

o yeah i wrote a really perceptive article on drug addiction at the end of my today's post

please write something flattering or critical

i want to look really popular today

ha ha ha!

jams o donnell said...

Apparently there are trace amounts of radioactive materials n a number of items, including old smoke alarms.

It may save electricity Gled but I don't think I'll try.. A solar panel may be less lethal!

I will certainly comment