In 1976, Princeton junior John Aristotle Phillips began an astounding academic project that earned him national publicity and posed disturbing questions regarding nuclear proliferation. At the time, the underperforming student was striving hard to stay above water in his grades while staying hydrated for his other prize status as the school’s Tiger Mascot, so he presented the ambitious term paper for a seminar on nuclear proliferation. His goal was to create a low-cost, portable nuclear device, using only publicly available information.
What began as Phillips’ quest for extra credit turned out to be of national security concern. Provided only his class textbook and two unclassified government documents, he managed to come up with a design similar to the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. His professor, no doubt entertained at the thought of such a project from a student who was performing below average, accepted the proposal. By February 1977, Phillips had not only completed his paper on the project but was at work on a model mockup.
The design, which Phillips estimated could be built for just $2,000—over $10,000 in today’s money, and would fit in the back of a U-Haul trailer, attracted much media attention. Not long after, the FBI seized his research. Nuclear expert Dr. Frank Chilton reviewed the 34-page report by Phillips and concluded the design was viable.
His efforts did not go unnoticed by foreign parties either. Pakistani officials approached him to buy his designs, and President Jimmy Carter was mentioned in the U.S. Senate deliberations following up on his paper. Phillips became something of a media celebrity, featured on CBS Evening News, “90 Minutes Live,” and even the game show “To Tell The Truth.” Hollywood came knocking with interest in his story too.
Phillips did, however, use his newfound fame to warn the public of the dangers of nuclear proliferation and the importance of keeping plutonium safe. After he had briefly basked in the limelight, he twice ran for Congress, though unsuccessfully. He went on to found Aristotle, Inc., where he acts as the CEO, working in political campaign consultation through data analysis and machine learning.
The Phillips story serves as a grim reminder of just how public information can be used to develop weapons of mass destruction and implores the need for ever-present vigilance in nuclear security.