Social media spread the news that the FBI was testing radiation at the home of a 12-year-old boy, the youngest to achieve a fusion reaction.
Jackson Oswalt, the youngest person in the world to successfully carry out nuclear fusion – Photo: NDTV
The Snopes fact-checking page confirms that this information is accurate. Jackson Oswalt (12 years old) is the youngest person in the world to successfully carry out nuclear fusion.
According to Snopes, the social media posts did not specify the specific time, but according to some knowledgeable sources, the young Jackson successfully performed nuclear fusion in 2018, right in his bedroom.
According to the Guinness World Records organization, this boy completed nuclear fusion on his 12th birthday.
However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) later raided Jackson’s home in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, to measure radiation levels.
Recently, the incident suddenly attracted attention again on social networks. Specifically, a post on the social network Facebook in August attracted more than 2.3 million views.
Previously, in July, another user also posted this incident on the social network Instagram with the caption: “A 12-year-old boy’s science project was raided by federal agents.”
On the Reddit platform, many users have been sharing this information since March.
Previously, Taylor Wilson held the record for being the youngest person to successfully carry out a nuclear fusion reaction when he successfully built a fusion reactor at the age of 14.
Jackson successfully performed the experiment using a homemade fusor device from components purchased on the eBay platform, and the scientific community confirmed the results based on neutron evidence.
After this achievement, the FBI went to the house to check for radiation but found no abnormalities.
In 2019, Jackson was invited to speak at the University of Rochester’s laser energy laboratory (New York state, USA) and showcased his fusor device on local television.
On the X account, Jackson shared details of the manufacturing process and recounted the “funny” experience with the FBI.