A Columbus man gave his neighbors and first responders one heck of a scare on Thursday evening.
He called 9-1-1 to say that he’d been building a ‘quantum physics generator’ in his home and had been burned while using a particle accelerator.
A particle accelerator is a highly sophisticated piece of equipment that speeds up sub-atomic particles and smashes them into other particles to generate x-rays and gamma rays. While it’s unlikely someone could build one at home; if you managed to there would be a real danger of radiation. No one is sure what a ‘quantum physics generator’ is.
Concerned about the possibility of radiation, first responders, including hazmat teams and a bomb squad were dispatched to the scene.
Dozens of nearby homes in Northwest Columbus neighborhood were evacuated while first responders searched the garage. No particle accelerator, quantum physics machine, or radiation was found.
Officials think the man was actually working on a capacitor.
