Stuff You Should Know

SYSK Gets Weird Playlist: The Story of the Nuclear Boy Scout

September 18, 2026·41 min·6-min readnarrativeculture
Podzilla Summary (6 min)
TLDR
David Hahn, a Michigan teenager in the 1990s, built a functioning nuclear reactor in his mother’s potting shed using scavenged radioactive materials, driven by scientific curiosity rather than malice. His story is a haunting blend of brilliance, obsession, and tragedy, ending in early dea

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Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

David HahnKen SilversteinDonald ErbDavid HahnTaylor Wilson

Books

The Radioactive Boy Scoutby Ken SilversteinThe Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments

Companies

General Motors

Research & Papers

Harper's Magazine article

Topics

Criminal JusticeHistory Of ScienceLong Form JournalismMental HealthTrue CrimeUs Politics

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