Peace prizes for money from the invention of dynamite and other paradoxes from the life of Alfred Nobel - a genius whom no one loved
Peace prizes for money from the invention of dynamite and other paradoxes from the life of Alfred Nobel - a genius whom no one loved

Video: Peace prizes for money from the invention of dynamite and other paradoxes from the life of Alfred Nobel - a genius whom no one loved

Video: Peace prizes for money from the invention of dynamite and other paradoxes from the life of Alfred Nobel - a genius whom no one loved
Video: WW1 - Oversimplified (Part 1) - YouTube 2024, November
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Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel

Founder of the Nobel Prize, world famous Swedish chemist, engineer, industrialist, philanthropist Alfred Nobel founded 93 factories in 20 countries, was the author of 355 patented inventions, including dynamite, barometer, refrigerator, gas meter, speed switch. However, he was called a millionaire in blood and a merchant in death. There were many paradoxes in his life: a peace prize was established with the money received from the deadly invention. As a result of explosions in factories, people died, among whom was his younger brother. And the scientist was catastrophically unlucky in love.

Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize

Alfred Nobel was not the inventor of nitroglycerin, but it was he who studied its properties and turned it into a commodity. In 1864, an explosion occurred at Nobel's nitroglycerin factory, which killed 8 people, including his younger brother. The only survivor was himself. Nevertheless, Alfred did not stop experimenting with explosives.

Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel

A year later, an explosion thundered at a new nitroglycerin plant, then at a mine where explosives were used, then on a steamer transporting dangerous goods to America. Frightened townsfolk said that Nobel sold his soul to the devil for his invention, which brings death to everyone except himself. Meanwhile, Alfred Nobel did not lose confidence in his righteousness: “Life consists of paradoxes. And teaching other people not to be afraid of nitroglycerin, but simply to handle it correctly turned out to be incomparably more difficult for me than to comprehend the secret of its detonation."

Nobel Prize Ceremony
Nobel Prize Ceremony

In 1867, Nobel received a patent for dynamite - a mixture of nitroglycerin with substances capable of absorbing it. The scientist proposed using dynamite to build tunnels, which at that time was very relevant when building roads in mountainous areas. This invention made Nobel famous all over the world and brought him huge profits.

Nobel Prize Ceremony
Nobel Prize Ceremony

In 1888, Nobel's obituary titled "The Merchant in Death is Dead" was mistakenly published. This made a depressing impression on the engineer, and he decided to leave behind something more valuable than dynamite. Soon, Nobel drew up a will, according to which most of his fortune was allocated to the establishment of awards for achievements in chemistry, physics, medicine, literature and the struggle for peace.

French actress Sarah Bernhardt
French actress Sarah Bernhardt

The most famous legend about Alfred Nobel is the story of the reasons why the prize was never awarded to mathematicians - allegedly the wife of an engineer cheated on him with a mathematician. At the same time, they call either Franz Lemarge or Mittag-Leffler. There is no reason to believe this, if only because Nobel was never married.

Bertha Kinski
Bertha Kinski

The great inventor and scientist was catastrophically unlucky in love: he was so often rejected and used that at the end of his life he was sure that no one had ever loved him. At 35, he fell in love with French actress Sarah Bernhardt, but their relationship did not work out. At 41, he proposed to Bertha Kinski and was rejected. Over time, she led the pacifist movement and received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Sophie Hess
Sophie Hess

At 43, Nobel lost his head from 26-year-old flower saleswoman Sophie Hess. She stayed with him for many years, but he had to pay dearly for it - Sophie was a spender and continued to hunt for his money even after his death.

Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize

All his life, Nobel could not get rid of the feeling of complete loneliness and uselessness, while he made one of the most significant contributions to the history of human development. And dozens of people received the honorary prize, including five Russian writers who became Nobel laureates

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