You Can Have Quantum Mechanics in Your Own Garage.

Beneath the burning sun in the American desert, a young man, Taylor Wilson digs up uranium ore, which he brings back to his garage to make yellowcakes, all to simulate nuclear fusion reactors in his own home.

In 2009 Taylor Wilson became the youngest person to simulate nuclear fusion. By using trace radioactive materials found in antique household goods, the uranium ore mentioned above, home depot materials, and leftover supplies from the likes of government labs he created his own fusor. Wilson didn't come to this achievement alone. He cultivated knowledge and information over the internet by sending emails and questions to professors across the world. His parents were supportive of his interests and purchased deuterium (hydrogen fuel) for him one Christmas. By early 2009 he had built his fusor, which Guy Raz of National Public Radio said looked like "a Xerox machine from the '70s with a bunch of wires and pumps and tubes coming out of it." Since then, Wilson has become an educator and scientist, pushing for further research into producing safe, effective nuclear energy.

Wilson is not the only teenager to have done this, nor the only amateur to have created a fusor in his house. From high school physics clubs to casual enthusiasts many people with no degree in nuclear physics have managed to build small fusors from information sourced online. This isn't meant to discredit Wilson's accomplishment, anyone who manages to build these machines is seriously impressive in my book, but it isn't an activity reserved for prodigies and professors.

History of The Fusor.

Philo T. Farnsworth was an American inventor born in 1906 who (not unlike our Taylor Wilson) was fascinated by science and technology. He constantly fiddled with devices and pursued new technology even in his childhood.

In the 1920s Farnsworth became interested in the molecular technology used by devices like gramophones, telephones, and more. In 1922 he sketched out a new idea to revolutionize television while at Brigham Young University. Years later, Farnsworth used investments from friends to develop the first all-electronic television. He patented his work in 1927, launching his career as an inventor.

His career spanned from baby incubators electronic microscopes, a 'cold' Cathode Ray Tube, and his 1965 patent nuclear fusors. These devices produce 30-second fusion reactions, where particles combine from colliding with one another. These collisions also produce energy. This was Farnsworth's consistent passion through his work: utilizing the power of microscopic elements.

Some Words of Caution Before Proceeding.

While I am essentially advocating that you do try this at home, I urge caution. These small fusors have yet to produce large amounts of power, but they require high voltages which can be dangerous to handle. They also produce a variety of radiation types. So it is best to keep your contraption small, keep your gloves and safety goggles on, and follow the directions, below. These steps are provided by Makezine Magazine.

*While making this post the link has sometimes gone to a 404 page. Hopefully, the page will be fixed soon. I will still link the instructions below, I apologize if the link does not work. There are other sites with instructions too, but I found Makezine's work to be the most informative.

Makezine Fusor Instructions.

Particle Accelerators, too?

Yes! You can devise a small particle accelerator with the right materials and instructions. When you think of a particle accelerator you likely imagine a 27 km circular tunnel called CERN, the Large Hadron Collider. This technological feat has provided vital research in the field of quantum physics and is still being run for new experiments.

Much closer to home is the Cathode Ray Tube (Farnsworth returns) which produces images by accelerating and deflecting electrons in a linear vacuum tube. These devices have been used in older computer and television monitors.

There are many parameters required to create a successful particle accelerator. Electric and magnetic fields to direct the particles, a heated filament to produce electrons, and the correct pressurization. But all of the materials can be sourced online.

Click here for instructions on how to build your own Particle Accelerator.

Okay, but what does it cost?

Perhaps the greatest barrier to entry for science is cost. Most people haven't done science fair projects beyond homemade volcanoes. So creating your own particle accelerator or fusor can seem daunting from expense. And sadly, that presumption seems to hold true.

For the nuclear fusor, cost estimates can vary, but none of them come cheap. While you don't have to look into the multi-millions as some industrial and experimental fusors cost, even the lowest estimates and guides placed the cost anywhere from 1 grand to several thousand. Then again, perhaps it's for the best hydrogen fuel isn't widely available to the public.

Particle accelerators, while less expensive, can still cost a pretty penny. The most affordable method would be to find a used parts seller with some cathode ray tubes. They sell for cheap and are found in a variety of older electronic devices. However, a rusty CRT won't get you far in terms of measuring your experiments. A Quora user suggested this 200-kilovolt van de Graaff generator from Sargent Welch. However, this costs over $250 and it only goes up from there.

This is to say nothing of the time investment when learning the subject matter and making the device. While this is not as large a barrier as going to college and becoming a professional in the field, it is still a significant challenge.

Ay, there's the rub.

Accessibility, in my opinion, is the most important challenge for the scientific community to overcome. Numerous publications have discussed how poverty limits human potential, due to the lack of mobility those in poverty experienc. There is also a lack of equal educational access globally and nationally. Additionally, economic indicators are linked to the likelihood that someone will go on to pursue careers in STEM. People need time and money in order to pursue these careers. As a small example, look at scholarship competitions. I've never been in poverty, but I've never been the wealthiest. I was never able to participate in a science fair. Even if I did, I would never have been able to pay for the costs associated with projects who win those fairs. While most people think that is inconsequential, many high school science fairs offer cash rewards and scholarships to winning participants. And many of those folks have complicated, expensive projects.

While I grew up surrounded by books on science, science fiction, TV shows about scientific theory, and large access to the internet, many people, in the U.S. and abroad, don't have that luxury. As data shows, it is very difficult to overcome challenges that start in childhood. The World Economic Forum ranks the U.S. 27th in the world for its social mobility. Notably, the countries with higher social mobility rankings also have higher proportions of Researchers in R&D per million people.

So, what can be done about this? That's a big question and the solutions to global poverty and development are above my pay grade, and frankly beyond the scope of this article. There are some solutions that I believe can be implemented in order to increase interest and access to STEM for the population.

Expanding broadband access to rural areas is crucial. There are currently proposals at various levels of government to help subsidize rural internet access. This has gained more traction in recent years because more business, education, and professional/personal development happens online. Not only will this expand opportunity but hopefully give curious minds more information on STEM topics outside the scope of the school day.

Increasing educational opportunities by funding programs in every school for advanced classes. I was lucky to be on the outskirts of a wealthy school district, as such I had access to a variety of high-level courses from AP Physics, AP Literature, AP Calculus, IB programs, and more. These advanced courses gave me a broad spectrum of opportunities and collegiate competitiveness. Affirmative action programs, while helpful, can't make up for the deficits and unequal funding across school districts. By increasing spending on public schools, possibly even rethinking how we fund schools for more equitable talent and funding distribution, would be incredible.

Creating hope for students. Hope can seem intangible, and in many ways, it can be. But it is important to our drive that each person believes they have a chance, and has an actionable path. Not only is the cycle of poverty materially hampering the advancement of families, but it can also restrict children's hope. Rising student debt, high costs, and more make it near impossible for lower-class students to imagine a way out. In the Tangelo Park Project, hotelier Harris Rosen committed millions to fund free pre-k, childcare programs, and full scholarships to trade schools and Florida public colleges for all students. The program has been met with acclaim, but sadly neither philanthropists nor the government has stepped up to offer similar services on a broader scale.

I could go on theorizing how to bridge these divides but I hope you think about it too. In between your blueprints for a nuclear fusor, watching NASA's accomplishments, or whatever else piques your interest, I hope you think about the bigger picture. How important your curiosity and imagination are to the development of human society, as well as the curiosity of the billions of people around the world. How vital it is to make sure everyone has a chance to be the next Albert Einstein or Kizzmekia Corbett. Every generation builds off of the achievements before it, and every person builds off the achievements of those around them.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants." - Issac Newton

This piece is dedicated to the science enthusiasts across the globe who have shared and dispersed information across the internet, for folks like myself, and many others to appreciate. This information has inspired countless people young and old to engage in progress.