The Boy Who Played with Fusion
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creativity: big-C and little-c, 188–89; development of, 75, 80, 89, 115, 128, 137, 189; lack of experience as a benefit, 107–8; motivation for, 106–7, 110; role of imagination, 108, 271–72
Cress, Larry, 79, 87
cultural considerations, 120–21, 139–40, 155–56, 189, 233
Curie, Marie, 39–40, 50, 94, 108
Curie, Pierre, 39, 50
D
Damascus Accident, 32
Davidson, Janice, 153, 154, 174, 241–42
Davidson, Robert, 153, 154, 155–56, 174, 241–42
Davidson Academy: description, 154–55, 161–67, 280; Joey as a student, 161, 166–67, 180, 250–51; philosophy of education, 174–79, 250, 281; Taylor as a student, 156–57, 161–66, 258, 270
Davidson Fellows, 154–55
deuterium, 88, 102, 105, 132, 149, 183, 194, 197–98, 203, 260
Dewey, John, 178
Dickinson-Kelley, Lee Ann, 140, 175, 234–35
DNA, 57, 58, 60, 61
Dodds, Lee, 45, 56, 228
do-it-yourself science, 47, 74, 125–26, 127–32
dosimeters, 43, 69, 182, 200, 210
Duckworth, Angela, 177
Dweck, Carol, 89, 177
E
eBay, 44, 49, 52, 59
education. See also St. James Day School; Texas Middle School: college vs. alternatives, 249, 254; do-it-yourself science, 47, 74, 125–26, 127–29; federal budget, 237; of gifted children (See gifted children, education of); grade-skipping, 120, 139, 275, 278; interest-based learning, 178, 250, 278; kindergarten, delay in, 13, 275; No Child Left Behind, 140; private schools, 138, 163, 275; software, 153, 154; STEM subjects, 24, 26, 116, 127, 163, 187, 237, 262, 267, 278
Edwards, Jamie, 124
Einstein, Albert, 78, 101–3, 108, 122, 168, 179, 187, 194, 199
electrolysis gas generator, 149
electromagnetic force, 103, 183–84
electromagnetism, 47–48, 49, 86, 103, 125, 183
electrons, 54, 61, 78, 87–88, 104, 130, 165
energy: fusion, 101, 102–3, 105, 184; global expenditure on, 107; relationship with mass, 78, 101–2, 103, 108, 122, 194; renewable, 102–3, 105, 106
Energy/Matter Conversion Corporation (EMC2), 122–23
engineering strategies: cannibalizing for parts, 148–49, 186–87; custom machining, 184, 190, 191; retrofitting, 135; reverse engineering, 19
entrepreneurship, 131, 248–49, 251, 259, 269, 278
Ericsson, K. Anders, 117–18
expertise, development of, 117–19
explosives, 126, 165–66, 227–30, 235–36
F
failure: accident-analysis, 21; fear of, 248, 259, 276; learning from, 30, 89–90, 177, 266; perseverance in the face of, 89, 107, 116, 177, 185; Taylor’s reaction to, 258–59
family considerations, 121, 232–33, 276, 280
Farnsworth, Philo T., 109, 187, 199
Fauci, Anthony, 107–8
Feldman, David Henry, 72–73, 81, 111–12, 119–21, 232–33, 280, 281
Fermi, Enrico, 143
Feynman, Richard, 114, 125
Fidaleo, Anthony “Biff,” 164, 165, 180
fission. See nuclear fission; reactors, nuclear fission
Freedom of Information Act, 216
fusion: aneutronic, 131; nuclear (See nuclear fusion; reactors, nuclear fusion)
Fusor.net, 90, 109, 123–24, 134, 184, 198, 205
fusors. See reactors, nuclear fusion
G
gadolinium, 224
gamma rays, 48–49, 56, 60, 68, 79, 88, 221, 246
G&T programs, 138–40
Gates, Bill, xiv, 120, 248, 249, 266
Geiger, Hans, 51
Geiger counters: airplane travel, 219; on The Big Bang Theory set, 263; detection by, 4, 35, 41, 43, 44, 67, 145, 146, 150
gender issues, 81, 121, 136–37, 175
General Atomics, 265
genetics, 57, 58, 60, 61, 110, 115–16
Germanotta, Stefani (Lady Gaga), xiv, 120
gifted children: adolescence, challenges of, 136–37, 243–44; development (See psychology); incidence rate in population, xv, 111, 179; loss of momentum, 136–38, 141, 152, 280; prodigies, 111–12, 118, 134, 189; programs for, 138–40; proportion of school-age population, xv, 111; realization of potential, 279–81; role of practice, 117–18; roots of prodigiousness, 110–21; savants, 112, 164; socioeconomic considerations, 278, 279–80; transition to adult achievement, 112, 115–16, 119–20, 121, 189, 266; twice exceptional, 176; types, xiii, 161; use of term, xv, 110–11, 139, 140, 276
gifted children, education of: during the Cold War, 24; limited by conventional system, 127, 133, 135–38, 152–53, 155–56, 164–65, 267, 275; major principles, 107–8, 120–21, 154, 175–76, 277–79; match by ability not age/grade, 174, 175, 234–35; mentorship, 71, 120, 154, 184–85 (See also Davidson Academy; parenting)
Gordon, Richard, Jr., 22
Gray, Theodore, 147–48, 153
grit, 119, 177, 191
Grothus, Edward “Atomic Ed,” 145, 146
H
Hahn, David, 31–34, 42–43, 51–52, 65, 67–68, 120, 268
half-life, 43, 44
Handl, Richard, 52–53
hands-on science, 47, 74, 127–32, 165–66, 185–86, 252
Harsin, Colleen, 162–63, 176–77, 180, 206, 210, 240, 280
Heisenberg, Werner, 156, 167–68, 187
helium-3, 90, 223–25, 247
Herschbach, Dudley, 224, 228, 256
Hickam, Homer, 20, 82–84, 127
Higgs boson and Higgs field, 131
Hirsch, Robert, 109
Hull, Richard, 123–26, 127, 131, 198, 205
Huntsville, Alabama, 22, 23
Hussein, Saddam, 91–92, 94
I
innovation, 75, 108, 114, 115, 129, 131, 249, 276
Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), 210–11, 220–26, 248, 251–57
intelligence, 112–18, 120
intelligence quotient (IQ), 112, 113–14, 154, 233
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), 106, 125, 220, 263–64, 266
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), 104–6, 130, 131, 259, 263, 265
Internet: community through (See Fusor.net); information through the, 50, 51, 52, 127; supplies through the, 49–53, 86, 88, 134, 147, 149
intuition, 128
inverse-square law, 56, 69
Iraq War, 91–92, 94, 123
isotope generator, 43, 45, 77, 84, 86–88, 246–48, 253–57
isotopes: generation of, 43, 45, 77, 84, 86–88, 246–48, 253–57; medical, 69, 70, 96, 97, 153, 206, 242, 246–48, 253–57; transport of, 97, 126
J
Jobs, Steve, xiv, 120, 126, 248, 249, 266
Joliot-Curie, Frédéric, 57, 97
Joliot-Curie, Irène, 57, 97
K
Kaiser, Ralf, 106, 266–67
Kandula, Ikya, 176, 180, 194, 206, 234, 241, 259
Kaufman, Scott Barry, 81–82, 118–19
Kennedy, John F., 105–6
Kerr, Barbara, 80, 81, 136–37, 274
L
language skills, 166–67
lasers, 105, 171, 191, 210
Lawrence, Ernest, 88, 89
Lawrence National Laboratories, 197, 199, 208
learning strategies: hands-on experience, 47, 74, 129, 185–86; individualized, 175; learning by talking/verbal, 46, 75, 188; learning from failure, 30, 89–90, 177, 185; learning through testing, 133; provide emotional interest, 178
Ligon, Tom, 122–23, 186
lithium, 29, 77, 118
Litvinenko, Alexander, 62–63
Los Alamos National Laboratory, 60, 122, 144, 145, 146
Lubinski, David, 119, 137–38, 141, 185, 279
Lucas, Samuel, 139
luck, role in development, 119–21, 138, 201, 280–81
lucky donkey theory, 131–32
M
Manhattan Proj
ect, 46, 144, 146, 147
Marx electrical generator, 125
Matthews, Dona, 232, 234, 243
Maxwell, James Clerk, 86
media. See communicators, science; notoriety
medical devices, 55–56, 59–60, 68, 246, 248
medical treatments, radioactive/nuclear: access in developing countries, 70, 98; for cancer, 69–70, 97–98, 134; quack, 53, 54, 150, 215; radiation hormesis, 228; Taylor’s isotope generator, 246–48, 253–57
Melde, Angela, 17, 40, 41, 46, 50
memory, 19, 114–15, 116
Mensa, 135
mentorship, 71, 75, 86, 120, 154, 184–85, 254, 268
Miller, Dee, 13, 17, 46–47, 133, 134, 138
Millikan, Robert, 130
Minkowski, Hermann, 179
Missig, Kathy, 32, 33, 71
molecular biology, 20, 36, 96
motivation, 107, 110, 176–78, 225, 280
music, 80–81, 117, 118, 261
Musk, Elon, 258, 260–61
N
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), 16–18, 22, 23, 24, 84, 258, 261
Nashville, Arkansas, 11–12, 87
National Ignition Facility (NIF), 259, 264–65, 266, 269
Nature’s Gambit (Feldman), 72, 112, 232
nature vs. nurture, 115–18, 120
networking: by the parent for the child, 74–75, 148, 186, 274–75; by Taylor, 50, 87, 90, 92, 142, 147–48, 186, 190, 192
neuroscience, of intelligence, 112–15
neutron detectors: airplane travel, 219; boron-10 trifluoride (Snoopy), 200, 203–4; Davidson Academy storage, 173; helium-3, 90, 109, 200, 223, 225, 247; Taylor’s portable, 221–26, 241; Taylor’s water-based Cherenkov, 223–24, 225; for verification of fusion, 123–24, 184, 200, 203–5
neutrons: accidents, 60, 61; discovery, 51; generation of, 110, 200, 203–6, 260; multiplication and effect fusor output, 207, 209; Neutron Club, 123, 184, 205; released from particle accelerator, 67, 79, 88, 105, 109
Nevada: nuclear test site, 55, 143; Red Bluff Mine, 3–7, 8–9, 92, 239; Reno, 155, 161 (See also University of Nevada–Reno)
New Mexico, 142, 145–48. See also Los Alamos National Laboratory
Newton, Isaac, 108, 136, 179
notoriety, 224–25, 237–44, 245, 251, 261, 264
nuclear fission, 32, 48, 60, 61, 67, 101, 143, 264. See also reactors, nuclear fission
nuclear fusion: to create medical isotopes, 97–98, 153, 206, 247–48; and Einstein’s formula, 78, 101–2, 103, 108, 121; history, 121; inertial confinement fusion, 105, 131; magnetic confinement fusion, 104–5, 122, 130, 131; magnetized target fusion, 131; NIF breakthrough, 269; overview, 101–6, 183–84, 203, 263, 266–67; polywell, 122–23; pressure required for, 194, 201; produced by Scotch tape, 260, 270–71; reactors (See reactors, nuclear fusion); research by Taylor, 98, 106, 109, 124, 247; in the sun, 97, 98, 101, 103, 183; temperature required for, 103, 184, 194, 204; use in space travel, 102, 157; verification of, 123–24, 184, 198, 200, 205
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), 52, 53, 59
nuclear science: accidents, 32, 57, 60–62, 215–17; chain reaction (criticality), 50, 60, 61, 67, 105; history, 48, 51, 206; hobbyists, xii–xiii, 44, 52–53, 59, 90, 94, 126, 130–31; weapons (See weapons)
nuclear science, research by Taylor: fusion reactor (See under reactors, nuclear fusion, by Taylor); multi-disciplinary, 191; properties of radioactive materials, 49–51; radioactivity of everyday products, 33–36; transmutation, 68–69, 78–80, 98; Van de Graaff generator, 84, 86–88
nuclear test sites: Kazakhstan, Semipalatinsk Test Site, 143; Nevada Test Site, 55, 143; New Mexico, 59, 142, 147, 150; residue from, 49, 55, 58, 59, 147
nucleus, 34–35, 51, 130
Nye, Bill, 128
O
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 44–45
Obama, Barack, 140, 219, 237–38, 266
Ochs, George, 169, 195–96, 211, 224, 225–26, 240, 249, 251, 253, 255–56
Oppenheimer, Robert, 144, 146
Orr, Ellen, 17, 30, 43, 134, 135–36, 152, 229–31
P
parenting: advocacy for the child, 250, 275; bias toward child, 140, 176, 273; challenges of child’s adolescence, 244; counterintuitive approach, xiv; extreme, 71–76; helicopter, 71–72, 176, 275, 278–79; networking for the child, 74–75, 148, 186, 274–75; nurturing vs. indulgence, 8, 65, 71; nurturing vs. safety, 21, 35, 55–56, 65–66, 79–80, 82, 127, 151, 169, 275; responsibility of, xi, xii, 75–76, 80, 120–21, 268, 273–75; support the child’s own interests, 25, 71–74, 81, 82, 83, 119–20, 268, 273–74; trust and verify policy, 66–67, 69
patents, 211, 225, 241–42, 249, 254
periodic table, 19, 34, 35, 148
Phaneuf, Ronald: as mentor, 168–70, 173, 182–85, 193, 197, 198–206, 209, 223–24, 247; as nuclear scientist, 106, 131, 182–83; physics class by, 188; retirement, 259, 270, 281; views on Brinsmead, 171; views on Taylor, 239–40, 243, 249
physics: applied, 194–95, 199, 225, 248–49; atomic, 35–36, 130; breakthroughs, 77, 104, 106, 107, 108, 130; high-energy particle, 101–1; nuclear, xii, 51, 68, 77–78; quantum, 108, 114, 251; theoretical, 156–57, 167–68, 187, 195, 199, 264
plasma: characteristics, 104, 183, 197, 198, 199, 203; created by Taylor, 88, 89, 179–80, 197–98, 199, 203; dense plasma focus, 247, 253; as fourth state of matter, 180, 182, 183; Paschen arc as indicator, 197; Plasma Club, 123, 198; role in fusion, 104, 122, 259; at the sun’s core, 183, 194
plutonium, 60, 95, 101, 149, 217, 223–24
plutonium detector, 223–24
policymaking, 175, 239
polonium, 50, 57, 62, 94
Popular Science, xii, 237
practice, role in expertise, 117–18
prodigies, 111–12, 118, 134, 189
propulsion and rockets: Jupiter-C, 21; propellant chemistry, 19, 20–21, 26, 27, 29; research at Los Alamos, 121; rocket boys, 82–84; Saturn V, xi–xii, 22–23, 25–27; SpaceX Falcon 9, 258, 260; Taylor’s interest in, xi–xii, 16–21, 29–30
prospecting, 3–9, 50–51, 57, 92–94, 142, 143
protons, 51, 78, 79
psychology: blooming period, 80–82, 274; brain-training programs, 115; of creativity, 75, 80, 89, 106–7, 115, 137; deliberate-practice theory, 117–18; development during adolescence, 72, 135, 136–37, 243–44; entitlement, 243; flow (mental immersion), 82, 119; growth mindset, 89, 177, 276; imagination, 108; intellectual overexcitability, 188; introverts, 233; memory, 114–15, 116; motivation, 107, 110, 176–78, 225, 280; nature vs. nurture, 115–18, 120; of perseverance, 89, 107, 116, 119, 177, 189; self-image, 75, 89, 107, 177; talent and expertise, 116–18, 119
public speaking, by Taylor: class presentations, 16–19, 39–42, 43–44, 46; TED talks, 31, 137, 237, 260, 264, 270; topic selection, 271
pulser, 209–10
pyrotechnics, 28–30, 33, 36
Q
quark, 136
R
radiation: detection (See Geiger counters); emitted from the human body, 220; monitoring (See dosimeters); toxicity, 39–40, 42–43, 54–63, 170, 200; warning symbol/sign, 39, 195, 200, 270
radiation syndrome, chronic and acute, 57–63
The Radioactive Boy Scout (Silverstein), 31, 33, 56
radioactivity: accidents, 18, 32, 57, 60–62, 68, 215, 238; and airplane travel, 219–20; artificial, 48, 57; class presentation on, 39–42, 43–44; decay, 4, 43, 94; exposure to, 5, 32, 35, 42, 56, 58–59, 215, 238; first use of term, 39; fluorescence, 40, 41, 50, 57–58, 150; medical treatments, quack, 53, 54, 150, 215; natural background, 58; overview, 34–35; radiopharmaceuticals, 68; science-fair projects on, 34, 35, 49–50
radium, 11, 35, 39, 41–43, 49–55, 57, 66–69, 94, 150
Radium Girls, 57, 58
radon, 4, 57, 58
reactors, nuclear fission: attempt by Hahn, 67; breeder, 67; Canadian, 60, 88, 246–47; Chalk River reactor, 246–47; Chernoble disaster, 32, 57, 143; Fukushima disast
er, 94, 238, 258, 264; Kerr-McGee, 95; modular, 264; Southwest Experimental Fast-Oxide Reactor, 74; Three Mile Island, 32
reactors, nuclear fusion: Farnsworth-Hirsch, 109, 123, 183–84; ITER, 104–6, 130, 131, 259, 263, 265; polywell, 122–23; by Willis, 150
reactors, nuclear fusion, by Taylor: construction and testing, 183–84, 193–201; design and materials, 98, 109, 124, 134, 144–49, 152–53, 184, 191–91; entered in ISEF, 210–11, 251–57; first successful operation, 202–6; physical description, 192, 193–94, 200; pulser incident, 209–10; shutdown by UNR, 207–10; to test portable neutron detector, 224
Red Bluff Mine, 3–7, 8–9, 92, 239
Red River Pharmacy Services, 66, 68
Ripley, Darren, 133, 187–88, 240–41, 258–59
rockets. See propulsion and rockets
Roentgen, Wilhelm Konrad, 47–48
Rotary Club, 12, 66, 74–75, 186
Rutherford, Ernest, 46, 51, 66, 77, 130
S
St. James Day School: graduation, 64; overview, 13, 30–31, 47, 133; presentations to, 16–19, 39–42, 43–44, 46
savants, 112, 164
science fairs: Brinsmead’s entry, 171; Intel Intl. Science and Engineering Fair, 210–11, 220–26, 248, 251–57; National Science Fair, 84; Western Nevada Regional Science Fair, 195, 206, 210
Scientific American, 19–20, 78, 87, 118, 126, 128
Scotch tape, 260, 270–71
Simmons, Alanna, 163–64, 237
Simonton, Dean, 75, 108, 118–19, 185, 281
Soddy Frederick, 66
Soviet Union: breakup, 139; Cold War, 23, 32, 125, 215–17, 277; fusion research, 104; space program, 23, 24, 26, 82, 104, 138
Space Camp, 22–23, 26–27
space exploration: British, 24, Columbia shuttle accident, 17–18, 27; European, 27; International Space Station, 242, 258; number of astronauts, 25; ramjet, 121; Soviet, 23, 24, 26, 82, 104, 138; Taylor’s interest in, 14–19; U.S., xi, 22, 23–24, 105–6, 125, 138; use of fusion power, 102, 157; Vanguard satellite accident, 23