David Hahn

David Charles Hahn, born on October 30, 1976, was an American inventor, mariner, and physicist who gained notoriety as the "Radioactive Boy Scout". At the tender age of seventeen, he embarked on an ambitious project to construct a homemade nuclear reactor in the backyard shed of his mother's home in Commerce Township, Michigan. His fascination with nuclear radiation led him to experiment in secrecy, driven by the goal of building a functioning breeder reactor.

Despite his efforts, Hahn never succeeded in creating a working reactor; however, he did manage to develop a crude neutron source. His activities came to light in August 1994 when local police discovered concerning materials in his vehicle during a routine stop. Alarmed by his warning that the materials were radioactive, authorities contacted federal agencies, leading to a significant cleanup operation by the Environmental Protection Agency ten months later, as his mother's property was designated a Superfund site.

Hahn's story remained relatively obscure until it was brought to public attention by journalist Ken Silverstein in a 1998 article for Harper's Magazine. This exposure culminated in Silverstein's 2004 book, "The Radioactive Boy Scout", which chronicled Hahn's unusual journey. Despite the challenges he faced, including the dismantling of his lab, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout shortly thereafter.

In his adult life, Hahn served in both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. However, he struggled with mental health issues and ultimately succumbed to the effects of drug and alcohol use, passing away at the age of thirty-nine on September 27, 2016.