Name: Yup, I built a nuclear fusion reactor
Uploaded: 2012-03-22T15:08:19Z
Duration: 3 min 15 s
Description: Taylor Wilson believes nuclear fusion is a solution to our future energy needs, and that kids can change the world. And he knows something about both of those: When he was 14, he built a working fusion reactor in his parents' garage. Now 17, he takes the TED stage at short notice to tell (the short version of) his story.

Taylor Wilson: Yup, I built a nuclear fusion reactor

Yup, I built a nuclear fusion reactor

Taylor Wilson believes nuclear fusion is a solution to our future energy needs, and that kids can change the world. And he knows something about both of those: When he was 14, he built a working fusion reactor in his parents' garage. Now 17, he takes the TED stage at short notice to tell (the short version of) his story.

Nuclear fusion holds promise as the future of energy, and breakthroughs can come from unlikely places. At age 14, a teen assembled a working fusion reactor in a garage, later developing affordable radiation detectors that outperform models costing tens of thousands. His journey shows that young people, driven by curiosity and hands-on problem solving, can tackle challenges from clean energy to global security. Imagination paired with grit can spark solutions that impact the world.