The man, who explained that his interest in nuclear physics was awakened as a teenager, ordered some radioactive material from overseas and acquired more by taking apart a domestic fire alarm.

FORBES: Swedish Man Arrested For Building a Nuclear Reactor In His Kitchen

"When you start dealing with a senior bunch of scientists trained in conventional physics and they see a young upstart with a miracle material, most say 'no, ' and they say it rather vehemently, " says James Collis , who evaluates technology for the logistics division of the Naval Air Systems Command and who has closely followed Branagan's work.

FORBES: Innovators

One of the reasons the Nobel physics committee, and now much of the world, is fascinated by the material known as graphene is on account of its possible role as the successor to silicon in new generations of electronic devices.

FORBES: Silicon Chips May Have Quite A Bright Future, Says Nobel Prize Winner