“We got neutrons, yeah!”
The shout came after years of after-school effort inside a Dallas home, where a seventh grader had been quietly assembling a machine most people only encounter in advanced laboratories. For Aiden McMillan, that moment confirmed something extraordinary. His homemade device had produced nuclear fusion.
Now, at 12, the Dallas Independent School District student is seeking recognition from Guinness World Records as the youngest person to achieve it.
McMillan’s project began long before wires and vacuum pumps entered the picture. He first became fascinated with fusion at age 8, then spent two years studying nuclear physics concepts before attempting early prototypes. Curiosity drove the work, not competition.
“I mean, I loved the project, but I also kinda hated it,” McMillan said.
The effort stretched across four years, blending theory with hands-on learning. Evenings and weekends meant calculations, research, and gradual assembly of components. According to his family, he only started building after developing a strong understanding of the science.
Convincing his mother proved just as challenging as any technical step.
“There were some alarm bells with my mom, yes, she was like, ‘ Whoa, whoa, whoa, take a step back, tell me exactly what could go wrong, and how it could go wrong and make sure it doesn’t go wrong,’” McMillan said.
Safety questions forced him to explain risks clearly, from high voltage to vacuum equipment. That process became a turning point. Without trust at home, the project would not have moved forward.
As construction progressed, McMillan picked up skills rarely taught in middle school classrooms. He learned to manage high voltage systems, operate pumps, and troubleshoot failures. The process involved repeated trial and error, along with long stretches where nothing worked.
“It doesn’t make me jump higher. It doesn’t make me write faster. It doesn’t do anything for me, and to be honest, it’s really just a project of interest, but in the grand scheme of things, like fusion as a whole, in my opinion, is the energy of the future,” McMillan said.
Nuclear fusion powers stars, including the Sun. It happens when light atomic nuclei combine, releasing energy. Scientists hope controlled fusion could eventually provide abundant electricity with far less long-lived radioactive waste than traditional nuclear fission.
McMillan’s device does not generate usable power. Instead, it recreates fusion reactions on a tiny scale inside a sealed chamber. Atoms collide under controlled conditions, and some fuse together. The key proof comes from detecting neutrons, particles released during the reaction.
After years of work, his machine finally produced those signals.
“Kind of tearing up about it cause it was like, hard to describe. It was like the end of a long, long journey,” McMillan said.
The achievement places him among a small group of amateur fusion builders worldwide. If Guinness confirms his application, he would surpass Jackson Oswalt, who reached fusion in 2018 just before his 13th birthday.
McMillan’s work has also inspired broader efforts. Launchpad, a nonprofit makerspace in West Dallas, supports students pursuing ambitious technical projects. The organization aims to give young people access to tools and mentorship that might otherwise be out of reach.
Stories about his success have spread nationally, prompting conversations about what students can accomplish when they receive resources and encouragement early.
As one supporter put it, “Aiden’s success is not only a matter of personal pride, it shows that age is not a limitation when someone has dedication and the right support.”
For McMillan, the milestone feels less like a finish line and more like a starting point.
The original story “Homemade fusion reactor built by a 12-year-old draws national attention” is published in The Brighter Side of News.
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