Nobel, Alfred Bernhard

1995/08/02 Azkune Mendia, Iñaki - Elhuyar Fundazioa | Kaltzada, Pili - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Biografiak

(1833-1896)

The prestigious Swedish chemist was born in Stockholm in 1833. From a young age he had a tendency to science, since in his family there were many researchers, among them his sits. Following in his father's footsteps, he soon began experimenting in the laboratory.

When he was nine years old the Nobel family moved to St. Petersburg, where he had to deal with the water mine production that his father had recently invented. The young Nobel studied in Russia until he left Russia in 1850 and moved to Paris and the USA to study chemistry. In 1855 he returned to Russia and went to work in his father's laboratory. He dedicated himself to the investigation of explosives and until they closed the laboratory he lived dedicated to this task. He studied the characteristics of nitroglycerin and tried to adapt the explosive to different uses. On the contrary, it did not succeed due to the numerous accidents that occurred during the manipulation.

In 1859 he returned to Sweden and created a new laboratory. In 1864 the workshop broke out and five workers died as a result of the accident, including Alfred's brother. The news of the accident reached the Swedish government and prevented him from producing explosives. Public opinion totally condemned Nobel's investigations. War material was generated and disaster attracted. Alfred Nobel was increasingly marginalized.

Leaving the factory destroyed, he retired to a lake. He continued to investigate and until in 1866 he discovered how to manipulate nitroglycerin safely, he lived there. The result of these investigations is dynamite, an explosive with nitroglycerin as a basic component. Alfredo added 25% diatomite to nitroglycerin, obtaining an explosive powder that was comfortable to use; the powder kept all the characteristics of nitroglycerin, but needed a comburent thread to explode.

Although it may be thought otherwise, the discovery of Nobel failed to alter the prologue of the people. On the contrary, Nobel managed to enrich himself with the manufacture of explosives and the exploitation of Baku's oil. At the same time he continued to investigate and invented in 1876 an explosive called balistite.

He spent the last years of his life outside the world. Alfred Nobel considered himself a pacifist, but the use of the explosives discovered made him feel pessimistic about the future of the century. He died in Rome in 1896 and left a good of 9,200,000 dollars. He said in the testament that he wanted that money to go to the research and promotion of humanity. This latter desire is therefore due to the Nobel Laureates. These awards were initially divided into five themes: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology and Medicine, Literature and Peace; in 1968 Economics was incorporated. Undoubtedly, the greatest honor a scientist can receive is to receive the Nobel Prize. However, the chemist who created the failed awards without honor.