Jackson Oswalt turned his attention to science after having an ‘epiphany’ when he was a tween
Do you recall what you were up to at the age of 12?
As for me, I was eagerly awaiting the premiere of Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie and spent many evenings playing on the Wii. However, Jackson Oswalt from Memphis, Tennessee, has a completely different recollection of his time as a 12-year-old.
At that age, Jackson experienced a ‘sudden epiphany’ one day.
Jackson had an ‘epiphany’ about video games when he was a child (X/@JacksonOswalt)
As stated on the Guinness World Records website, he shared, “I came to the realization that I could excel at any video game, but ultimately, it wouldn’t hold much significance. In the larger context, video games played no substantial role. So, I decided to change my focus.”
Unlike many other kids who might have turned to comic books or movies, Jackson chose to pursue what he called ‘the closest real-life equivalent to video games: science.’
As a nearly-teenager, he immersed himself in science, watching YouTube videos about nuclear fusion and investigating materials that could enable him to replicate the process.
For those who weren’t science enthusiasts at 12 like Jackson, nuclear fusion involves merging atomic nuclei under extreme pressure and heat, resulting in the formation of one or more atomic nuclei and neutrons. This process leads to either the release or absorption of energy.
Jackson achieved his Guinness World Record at 12 years old (YouTube/Guinness World Records)
Jackson shared his journey toward achieving nuclear fusion in a Twitter thread last year, stating: “The initial step was to create a ‘demo fusor,’ a device that generates plasma without achieving fusion. This involved a vacuum chamber, a vacuum pump, and a neon sign transformer paired with a homemade AC-DC converter.
“I brought this version to my school’s science fair, managing to get it operational just the night before. Looking back, it’s incredible that they allowed me to bring it in.”
After gathering the necessary materials and dedicating over a year to testing his experiment, Jackson made history in 2018 by becoming the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion, with his accomplishment verified by Fusor.net, The Open Source Fusor Research Consortium, just a day before his 13th birthday.
Pretty cool, right?
However, if that wasn’t thrilling enough for a 12-year-old, things took an unexpected turn when Jackson was visited one Saturday morning by two FBI agents.
Having learned about Jackson’s achievements, the agents conducted a sweep of his home using a Geiger counter to ensure his experiments hadn’t caused any radiation issues.
Fortunately, the agency’s involvement didn’t escalate beyond that.
“I was lucky to stay a free man,” Jackson remarked.
Seven years after his initial success, the young scientist is now employed at research labs like Midjourney, focusing on hardware and AI research.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/guinnessworldrecords