Man who tried to build a homemade nuclear reactor didn’t die of radiation poisoning

Ars Technica » Scientific Method 2017-03-14

Enlarge / David Charles Hahn (left), pictured here with his half brother Kevin Breeding, just months before his death in September 2016. (credit: Kenneth Hahn)

Last year, Ars reported on the death of David Charles Hahn, who was profiled by Harper’s Magazine in 1998 for having attempted to build a homemade breeder nuclear reactor in his mother’s backyard shed.

Hahn’s death was still being investigated by the medical examiner in Macomb County, Michigan, and it was not known whether his exposure to radiation as a teenager contributed to his death. That investigation concluded on December 2, 2016.

On Tuesday, David’s father, Kenneth Hahn, called Ars to confirm that his son died of alcohol poisoning and that his previous nuclear experiments played no role in his passing. He said that he came upon our months-old request for comment while cleaning out old e-mails.

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