Criminal – "The Boy Scout" (November 14, 2025)

Overview

This episode of Criminal, hosted by Phoebe Judge, tells the astonishing true story of David Hahn, a Michigan teenager who, driven by an obsession with chemistry and the dream of scientific greatness, built a rudimentary nuclear reactor in his mother’s backyard potting shed. The episode delves into Hahn’s childhood fascination with science, the jaw-dropping steps he took to build his reactor, and the alarming aftermath that drew the attention of local police, the Environmental Protection Agency, and federal authorities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Golf Manor: Suburbia Upended (02:23-03:48)

• Setting: Golf Manor is painted as an idyllic Detroit suburb—“a little perfect little suburban subdivision that had a back to the future charm.” (Ken Silverstein, 02:23)
• The Disturbance: On June 26, 1995, resident Dottie Peace spots a team in “moon suits” dismantling her neighbor’s potting shed and stuffing it into steel drums with radioactive warning labels.

2. Introducing David Hahn (04:39-07:32)

• Family Background: David’s parents divorce when he is 9, shuttling him between homes.
• Initial Obsession: Gifted The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments, he becomes obsessed, especially with the section "Atomic Energy" and its utopian visions:

  “The force hidden in the atom will be turned into light and heat and power for everyday uses... do you want to share in the making of that astonishing and promising future?" (07:09)

3. Teenage Experiments and Risks (07:39-10:43)

• Homemade Explosives: David moves rapidly from simple chemistry experiments—like making fireworks—to dangerous activities, such as synthesizing chloroform and triggering a basement explosion with red phosphorus:

  “There were, like, little explosions and accidents happening in the bedroom, and there were burn marks and holes in the walls...it looked like a war zone.” (Ken Silverstein, 08:39)

• Consequences: After a major explosion lands David in the hospital, his parents ban in-house experiments, prompting him to relocate his lab to his mother’s potting shed.

4. Boy Scouts and the Allure of Atomic Energy (12:59-14:54)

• Boy Scout Distraction: David’s father pushes him to stick with Scouts and pursue Eagle Scout status, hoping it's a “healthy distraction.”
• Atomic Energy Merit Badge: David is the only troop member ever to attempt the Atomic Energy merit badge, but the provided educational materials lack any discussion of nuclear dangers.

5. The DIY Breeder Reactor (17:35-29:36)

• The Impossible Ambition: At 16, David decides to build a breeder reactor—a device that, in theory, produces more nuclear fuel than it consumes:

  “He might think, well, of course it's crazy to think you could build a breeder reactor. But...you think you can achieve anything.” (Ken Silverstein, 18:52)

• Acquiring Radioactives: David forges identities (including that of a physics teacher) in letters seeking information and material, learning that thorium—a gas lantern component—can be transformed into uranium. He painstakingly harvests thorium from lantern mantles and seeks other supplies, sometimes with questionable means (e.g. having someone steal supplies).

• Radium and Americium: Unable to source enough radium from antique clocks, he pivots to americium scavenged from smoke detectors, informally learning its location from a manufacturer’s customer representative.

• Notable Quote:

  "David would routinely wear a gas mask when he went out to the potting shed…it didn't seem that out of the ordinary…as a teenager, my God, I did incredibly reckless, stupid stuff and nobody was paying attention." (Ken Silverstein, 11:14)

6. Assembling the Reactor and The Brink of Disaster (32:29–34:33)

• Construction: David creates a rudimentary nuclear core using foil-wrapped cubes and duct tape, with radioactivity climbing beyond the shed:

  “He said it was radioactive as heck. He said the level of radiation after a few weeks was far greater than... when he assembled these cubes into the core of the reactor.” (Ken Silverstein, 32:37)

• Realizing Danger: After reading about the fate of radium dial painters, David grows fearful for his and his neighbors' safety. He dismantles his setup, loads radioactive materials in a padlocked kit in his car trunk, and contemplates next steps.

7. Police, Authorities, and Nationwide Alarm (34:33–42:20)

• Routine Police Encounter: At 2:40am, police respond to a report of possible theft and find David’s car’s trunk full of labware and radioactive material.

• Federal Emergency: Discovery of thorium "not found in nature" (38:03) prompts activation of the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan, mobilizing the EPA, FBI, and state agencies—with a mixture of panic and confusion.

• Evasion and Cleanup: David initially conceals the potting shed location. When authorities finally learn of it, they find radiation levels 1,000 times above background in a vegetable can (41:00).

• Notable Quotes:

  "Future reports describe excessive levels of radioactive material... measured at 50,000 counts per minute—that's 1,000 times higher than normal levels." (Ken Silverstein, 41:00)

  “... it was some of the highest concentrated material that we'd encountered in private hands.” (EPA official, via Phoebe Judge, 42:20)

8. Aftermath and David’s Legacy (43:50–46:05)

• Destruction and Disposal: The potting shed is dismantled, packed into 39 drums, and shipped to a radioactive waste site. Some dangerous materials had already been secretly discarded into the municipal landfill.

• Personal Fallout: David is ostracized at school (“Radioactive Boy”), nearly denied Eagle Scout status, and ultimately, his scientific achievement is not celebrated.

  “His extraordinary accomplishments weren’t really recognized—they were, he was seen as a menace, a danger.” (Ken Silverstein, 43:50)

• Life After the Incident: David attends community college, then the Navy—but is never allowed close to reactor cores.

• Influence on Others: The story notes that Taylor Wilson, inspired by a book about David, built a nuclear fusion reactor at 14.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Golf Manor’s Normalcy:

  "The most unusual thing you'd spot would be a Mr. Softy Ice Cream truck...that's the type of neighborhood it is."
  (Ken Silverstein, 02:33)

• On Parental Oversight:

  “He didn't have a lot of oversight. His parents thought it was cool...but soon they started getting a little concerned because there were little explosions…”
  (Ken Silverstein, 08:39)

• On the Absurd Risks:

  “...as a teenager...I did incredibly reckless, stupid stuff and nobody was paying attention. Okay, it's strange, but it's, it's great. Like David's focused...”
  (Ken Silverstein, 11:14)

• On Building the Reactor:

  “He creates foil-wrapped cubes filled with these...he uses duct tape...it's the pulsing nuclear core of his breeder reactor.”
  (Ken Silverstein, 32:37)

• On Discovery and Panic:

  “We don't know what to do...they're on the phone with state and federal officials, the local cops, and the bomb squad with the EPA, the FBI, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Look, it's the crisis. What do we do?”
  (Ken Silverstein, 38:13)

• On David’s Reputation:

  "Some of the kids at the high school started calling him Radioactive Boy."
  (Phoebe Judge, 43:50)

Episode Structure with Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Content Summary | |-----------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:23 | Golf Manor Environment | Suburbia disrupted by hazmat team actions | | 04:39 | David Hahn’s Childhood | Early experiments and obsessions | | 08:09 | Risky Teenage Science | Accidents escalate, family concerns | | 11:14 | Experiments Move to Potting Shed | Parental restrictions and secret continuation | | 12:59 | Eagle Scout & Atomic Energy Badge | David’s motivation, badge background | | 17:35 | Building a Breeder Reactor | His impossible ambitions | | 19:47 | Acquiring Radioactive Materials | Letter writing campaign and scrounging | | 23:15 | Assembling the Neutron Gun | Sourcing radium/americium, creative problem solving | | 27:26 | The Miracle Find | Stumbling upon a bottle of radium in an antique clock | | 32:29 | Construction and Realization | Completes core, discovers increased radioactivity | | 34:33 | Discovery and Police Action | Car trunk search, federal response plan | | 41:00 | The Cleanup | Shed surveyed, extreme radiation found | | 42:45 | EPA Cleans Up | All remaining evidence removed, hazardous waste handling | | 43:50 | Aftermath and Ostracization | David’s social life, Eagle Scout status | | 44:35 | Later Life and Legacy | Navy career, influence on new generation |

Conclusion

"The Boy Scout" presents a riveting, at times surreal, story about the boundary between scientific curiosity and catastrophic danger. Through the lens of David Hahn’s quest, the episode explores a uniquely American mix of teenage ambition, naivete, and the unforeseen perils lurking beneath invitations to “share in the making of an astonishing and promising future.” Ken Silverstein’s detailed commentary and Phoebe Judge’s narrative blend humor, horror, and empathy—reminding listeners how easily the ordinary can tip into the extraordinary.