Teenager develops nuclear weapons detector

Taylor Wilson, a 17-year old genius, was recently honored at the Intel International Science Fair of his work on creating a device that detects weapons in shipping containers. The device also uses a nuclear fusion reactor that he built when he was only 14. Do you even remember what you did when you were 14?

Speaking at the recent Intel International Science Fair, Taylor Wilson gave an explanation about his science project. It was titled “countering nuclear terrorism”, and was designed to make checking cargo containers for weapons a much easier job. The detector acts like an X-ray, scanning containers for fingerprints or traces of radioactive materials without having to even open them. With 35 million cargo containers going through customs each year, a device like this will definitely make the lives of cargo inspectors much easier.

No word on when the detector will be used or if it’s getting picked up by the government, but it’s good to know that there are young minds out there who are actually working on improving the world instead of just letting it go to waste. Check out the full interview at PBS.

George Wong
Categories: General
Tags: Intel, nuclear