High school science fair projects usually consist of mini volcanoes, small hovercrafts, or even testing the effectiveness of Listerine mouth wash. Very few involve building a nuclear fusion reactor or sports car. Continue reading to see that project and more -- image above via.
1. Nuclear Fusion Reactor
The then high school student Thiago Olson spent 2-years in his home garage building a working nuclear fusion reactor. To pull it off with a $3500 budget, he "pored over graduate-level physics textbooks, studied vacuum-pump manufacturers' manuals, and scoured the web for cheap parts." -- first image via.
2. Diesel Hybrid Car
Students at West Philadelphia High School decided to take the term science project to the next level, and built a fully-functional diesel-hybrid sports car that rockets from 0-60mph in just 4-seconds. It's called the Hybrid Attack and is reported to get 100mpg.
3. Helicopter
A Chinese farmer started building this homemade helicopter approximately 10-years-ago, when he was still a high school student. This project not only flys, but was built on a $3000 budget. It features "a frame reinforced with steel pipes and uses an engine from a motorcycle."
