Nuclear fusion has been achieved by someone who can’t even drive yet. Aiden McMillan, a 12-year-old Dallas seventh-grader, built a working nuclear fusion device at home after starting his research at age 8. While your typical middle schooler was mastering TikTok dances during the COVID lockdown, he dove into nuclear physics textbooks.
His four-year journey from curious kid to record-breaking physicist proves that garage innovation isn’t dead, just getting younger. The achievement demonstrates how maker culture and community support can enable projects that seemed impossible for previous generations.
When Neutrons Confirm Your Homework
Actual particle detection validates the achievement beyond typical science fair projects.
McMillan’s success isn’t just theoretical. Neutron detection confirmed that real fusion occurred in his homemade device. “This is the end of a long, long journey,” he said after achieving what he calls “the energy of the future.”
The device recreates stellar fusion on a tiny scale without meaningful power output or dangerous waste. It essentially proves the concept works even if it won’t charge your phone. That emotional reaction hits different when you realize he spent four years studying nuclear physics before most kids master long division.
From Living Room to Laboratory
Nonprofit makerspace and concerned parents enable an extraordinary weekend project.
McMillan split his time between home and the Launchpad nonprofit makerspace. He addressed his mother’s safety concerns about high-voltage equipment and vacuum handling with detailed risk assessments. The partnership demonstrates how maker culture enables ambitious projects through real equipment and guidance.
Evenings and weekends transformed into physics laboratory time, supported by a community that takes STEM education seriously enough to provide professional-grade resources.
Racing for the History Books
Guinness World Record application challenges Memphis teen’s 2018 achievement.
McMillan has applied for the Guinness World Record as the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion. He’s potentially unseating Jackson Oswalt of Memphis, who succeeded in 2018 at 12 years and 355 days old.
Oswalt’s playroom fusion device attracted an FBI visit. Agents used Geiger counters to confirm no radiation risks before declaring the project safe. The competitive element adds intrigue to what might otherwise seem like isolated genius, suggesting a new generation of makers pushing boundaries we didn’t know existed.
Both achievements highlight how accessible high-tech experimentation has become when curiosity meets community support. Your garage projects suddenly seem quaint by comparison, but these stories prove extraordinary innovation doesn’t require corporate labs—just persistence, safety precautions, and parents brave enough to say yes to truly ambitious homework.
