Fusion Record Setter

When Jackson Oswalt was only 12 years old, he set an incredible world record. He became the youngest person ever to achieve nuclear fusion, which occurs when atoms—the smallest units of matter—combine. The accomplishment landed Jackson, who is now 15, in Guinness World Records 2021 edition.

To pull off this feat, Jackson built a fusor at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. Inside the device, atoms of the element hydrogen (H) are heated until they zip around at high speeds. If two of the atoms collide, they fuse to form a helium (He) atom and release energy. Some scientists believe this type of reaction could generate massive amounts of power without creating pollution. Jackson agrees: “I think fusion is the energy of the future,” he says.