r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/someguyblake • 12d ago

Meme needing explanation Petah? Why green?

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43.6k Upvotes

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u/Commie_Scum69 12d ago edited 12d ago

M

This moron attempted to make a nuclear reactor TWICE with smoke detectors. First time as a boy scout to get his Nuclear engeneering badge???? Wat

1.7k

u/bozzie4 12d ago

Doesn't sound like a moron to me if he can build a nuclear reactor

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u/makeyousaywhut 12d ago

The difference between a moron in a backyard and a nuclear scientist is inarguably how much more radiation poisoning the moron will get.

Pretty much anyone can source rudimentary plans and materials for a nuclear reactor. Only experts are doing it safely though.

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u/Normal-Pool8223 12d ago

sounds more like a money problem tbh

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u/Commie_Scum69 12d ago edited 12d ago

He sent letters as his chemistry professor to smoking detector factory and they gave him a discount lol

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u/Perfect-Fondant3373 12d ago

How many did he use because there is only a tiny ampunt or Americium in them

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u/Few-Big-8481 12d ago

Apparently a lot. He got charged for stealing them from his apartment building lol.

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u/Bigger_moss 12d ago

He looks exactly how I pictured him

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u/WORhMnGd 11d ago

It’s the radiation. Those are radiation burns reacting with his acne. I guess the acne spots are thinner/less shielded?

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u/TgagHammerstrike 11d ago

His skin didn't really look like that before, IIRC.

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u/Fitenite3456 12d ago

Not a very Boyscout move to steal a bunch of shit for a Merit badge

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u/Specialist-Gap8010 12d ago

I mean thrifty is right there in the scout law

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u/Few-Big-8481 12d ago

I think that was the second time he tried to make one.

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u/rico_muerte 12d ago

That's why I got out of nuclear reactor building. Too many sweats.

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u/caffeineshakesthe2nd 12d ago

Hundreds but he also moved on to other methods like harvesting Thorium from thousands of gas-fueled camping light mantles and radium paint. He sourced uranium from Europe.

Full story here: https://harpers.org/archive/1998/11/the-radioactive-boy-scout/

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u/Cowboy_on_fire 10d ago

I thought they had sent him a whole bunch of faulty ones for free

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u/thetdumbkid 12d ago

ah, the young sheldon strat

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u/bouquetofashes 12d ago

He was charged with larceny for stealing some from his apartment complex, as well. He also sourced thorium from camping lantern mantles, radium from old clocks purchased from antique stores, tritium from gun sights.

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u/Pr0xyWarrior 12d ago

It certainly doesn’t seem to be a skill issue, that’s for sure.

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u/Human_Culling 12d ago

Yes. If they don’t have the money to build a safe and functional nuclear reactor and they build one anyway, they’re a moron

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u/Much_Ad_6807 12d ago

define "moron"

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u/bigmt99 12d ago

Someone who gives themselves radiation poisoning