Australian “Science Nerd” Trying To Collect Every Element May Be Jailed After Reaching Plutonium

The periodic table is an arrangement of all the known elements, from hydrogen to oganesson. While collecting the whole lot (even if some only last for microseconds before decaying) may seem like a cool idea, authorities and nuclear proliferation agreements would disagree, particularly when it gets to the radioactive elements towards the heavier end of the table.

Emmanuel Lidden, 24, learned this the hard way, according to his defense attorneys. In August 2023, whilst attempting to gather all the elements like a nerdy version of Pokémon, he attempted to import samples of plutonium from the US to his parent’s apartment in suburban Sydney. 

Unlike other elements reportedly gathered by Lidden, the plutonium sparked a major hazmat alert, requiring a response from the Australian Border Force (ABF) officials, firefighters, and police. He and his family were taken to hospital, but were not found to have radiation poisoning, while their home was also found to be “safe for human occupancy”. 

Among the radioactive elements found and seized by police were depleted uranium, mercury, and the small plutonium sample. This last element led Lidden to be the first person to be charged under Australia’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act, with a possible 10-year jail sentence. While he has pleaded guilty to the charge, his lawyers describe him as an “innocent collector” and “science nerd” who was also a keen collector of stamps and coins.

“He did not import or possess these items with any sinister intent […] these were offences committed out of pure naivety,” Lidden’s lawyer – John Sutton – told Sydney’s Downing Centre district court on Friday, per The Guardian.

“It was a manifestation of self-soothing retreating into collection, it could have been anything but in this case he latched on to the collection of the periodic table.”

Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued that calling Lidden a collector was a mischaracterization, and that collecting such illegal materials created a market for them.

While the radioactive material was flagged by the ABF, the samples were sent on to Lidden. According to the Daily Mail, the postal service shipped the package to Australia by mistake, and Lidden agreed to return it if they were happy to collect it. According to the defense, Lidden may have believed that he was allowed to possess the plutonium due to the tiny quantity involved.

“You’ve been bitten by the bug! At some point you saw the periodic table of the elements and figured that you could take a stab at putting together one of each of those. Well, here’s your chance to complete the set. Luciteria’s main focus is on the purest, most attractive specimens so you can show off those elements with pride,” Luciteria, the US company from which the element was allegedly purchased, writes on their website.

“We are located in Washington State USA and with few exceptions, as noted, we can ship element samples to most countries quickly and at the most reasonable rates.”

The element is now listed as “discontinued” on their website, though they note that the sample is tiny and ultimately harmless.

“Even if pried out of this cube – which we very very very much discourage you from doing – the spindle would be harmless unless swallowed. And if you were boneheaded enough to do all that, well, check in with a doctor ASAP.”

Lidden lost his job as a train driver after telling his employer about the ABF investigation, and now works at a fast food restaurant.

“The level of the response was a massive overreaction given what the investigative authority already knew,” Sutton added. “Rather than give [Lidden] an opportunity to return the items, the kitchen sink was thrown at him, along with the utensils inside.”

Lidden faces sentencing on 11 April, following his guilty plea.