This is the first of a new series I’m creating for “What To” that I’m calling the Extreme Nerd Series where books, film and audio highlighting science, innovators, inventors and tech startups will be covered.
The Boy Who Played with Fusion: Extreme Science, Extreme Parenting, and How to Make a Star written by Tom Clynes and narrated by P. J. Ochlan.
Taylor Wilson a young, strangely social given his level of intelligence, natural born leader, inquisitive genius of a boy from Texarkana, Arkansas.
Taylor hit many mile stones by the age of 17. By age 9 Taylor had, by most people’s standards, mastered the basics of rocket propulsion, by age 14 he successfully built a fusion reactor and with previous events shadowing this fact know that he gave a TED talk at the age of 17. Those facts are just tossed out there in order but seriously achieving fusion at the age of 14 is amazing. Just being able to gather the required components for a fusion reactor at that age is impressive let alone building one.
There are many people in this world like Taylor. A lot of them you wouldn’t know have that level of intelligence resides in them or that the potential lies there untapped. To be honest what sets Taylor apart from others is luck and enabling parents. Taylor did not come from wealth or a well connected family just caring parents, intelligence, circumstance and plan old luck.
With luck, I say luck because not enough of them exist in this world, brought caring teachers who could admit when they didn’t know something but helped find answers, adults willing to share knowledge and provide resources, parents willing to see it through that their children’s passions were nurtured, adults making time, saying yes and listening.
The copy we listened to is from Audible.