Teen who built nuclear reactor for state science fair is disqualified
This is what a nuclear reactor looks like. A teenager in Wyoming built one for a state science fair. What did you do today?
While many of us struggled to build volcanoes that spewed baking soda for our high school science fairs, Conrad Farnsworth built a nuclear reactor.
Farnsworth, 18, made headlines in his hometown Newcastle, Wyo. after he recently achieved nuclear fusion.
Yet, his creation did not see the light of a high school gymnasium as he was subsequently disqualified from a state science fair.
His misdeed? He competed in one too many science fairs to qualify.
The technicality cost him more than just a prize at a local science show, however.
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Farnsworth was hoping to compete at an Intel-sponsored science competition in Arizona last month but after he arrived there, the director of the other science fair in Wyoming who had disqualified him told the Arizona officials what had happened.
He was quickly disqualified from that competition as well.
Someone seems to have been outraged, however, as the Wyoming director has since been let go over the incident for acting outside her authority.
Farnsworth is said to be one of about 15 teens ever to pull off the feat of nuclear fusion.
He's also the first person in Wyoming to ever build a fusion reactor.
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