Alfred Nobel: The Merchant of Death
This video is made possible by brilliance, you're gonna learn more about brilliant, later in today's video but if you'd like to learn more about them right now go, to brilliant dog slash bio graphics, you'll also find a link in the description below we. Remember him for the annual prizes that he gifted to the world without Frid Nobel also, left us with, another legacy, explosives. He was the inventor of dynamite and it's even more deadly incarnation. Gel ignite they, made him rich beyond, his wildest, dreams but also left, him with a tortured, conscience in this week's by graphics, we examine, the life of, Alfred Nobel. Alfred. Bernhard Nobel was born on August the 21st, 1833. In Stockholm, in Sweden he, was a sickly child who almost died after the first week of his birth as it was he was one of just four of eight children to, survive his illness kept him indoors while his three brothers played outside, Alfred's, father Emmanuel, was an inventor and an engineer but he struggled to realize his ambitions, and as a result of the family struggled, to get by just, three months prior to Alfred's, birth his father had been forced to declare bankruptcy and, shut, down his business Emmanuel. Was now being chased by creditors, things became almost unbearable. When a fire ravaged, the family home help me against me to the Nobel children, were sent out into the streets to sell matches alfred, was an extremely pallid, and sickly child he suffered, from epileptic, convulsions, along, with a host of gastric, diseases, and debilitating. Migraine headaches for the first six years of his life alfred, was schooled by his mother he proved himself to be a gifted student from the start by the age of three he was able to read from that time onward he was rarely, seen without a book in his hand he also had, an amazing, memory when Alfred was four years old his father moved to Russia in order to pursue a business venture Emmanuel. Had managed to get a meeting with the chairman of the Tsar's committee for the promotion, of industry, and trade he, steered the conversation, towards, the land mines his area, of expertise, and was able to secure, an invitation, to Turku to meet some influential people Emanuel, worked in Turkey for two years where he invented, the Prada we know today as plywood. He then moved to some Petersburg, there he was introduced to Tsar Nicholas the first seizing. That the opportunity, Emmanuel told the Tsar about his plans to develop a submerged, explosive. Mine, Nicholas immediately. Saw the potential to use the invention to, prevent, enemy ships from entering into Russian, waters. Things. All were now looking up for the nobles with the money he received from the Russian government as, compensation for his development of the submerged, explosive. Mine in manual, setup a mechanical, workshop and armaments, Factory as well as making the new mined the factory, also produced industrial, tools and cannon, shells in 1842. When alfred, was 9 years old emmanuel sent for his family to join him from stockholm the new life of the nobles was vastly, different, to what they had known in sweden there some petersburg, house was luxurious, in comparison, to their old home emmanuel, was now able to hire a tutor for his sons unlike, his brothers alfred, was studious, and intellectual. He was also intensely, curious about the world around him he loved the poetry, of percy shelley especially, those concerned, with the subjects, of nature, and justice, from these readings he developed a deep, desire, to stand. Up to injustice, Alfred's. Other loves were chemistry. And languages, by the time he was 17 he could speak five, languages. His father also recognized, in the boy and natural, affinity, for solving problems marking. Alfred as the most promising, of his sons to follow, in his inventive, steps the boy loved nothing better than to spend his time than his father's, factory silently, taking in everything that his dad was doing before, long his father allowed him to handle the chemicals himself, alfred, stood has encouraged. His passion, for chemistry and literature. At the same time they coaxed, him to come out of his shell socially, largely, as a result of his ill health he was a painfully, shy and introverted, boy yet with the help of his tutors he began to stretch, himself academically. In his mid-teens, he began participating in, debating, clubs and started, to share, his passions, with family members then, around the age of fifteen he had a growth spurt which put, him at the height of most of his peers this went a long way to, boost his confidence, in, 1850, Emanuel paid for alfred study in paris he had already been studying, with chemist and Nikolai is Sinan and it was chemistry that, he pursued in France. In. Paris. Alfred spent time with Ascanius, Brera who had recently invented, nitroglycerine Sobrero. Was totally, opposed to any commercial, use of his invention, due to its highly unpredictable explosive.
Potential In fact in later life he made the following statement about, his invention, when I think of all the victims killed during nitroglycerin, explosions. And the terrible, havoc, that it wreaked which, in all probability will continue, to occur in the future I am almost ashamed to, admit to, being its discoverer Sobrero. Is a version to his discovery did not put off young Nobel, in fact the reverse was true the substance fascinated. Alfred Nobel or sometta chemist by the name of Jules Pelosi, who was fascinated, with a nitroglycerin and, had, a determination, to bring it under control after a year in France Alfred went to the United States to pursue his studies there, he worked with Swedish inventor John, Ericsson Ericsson, would go on to gain fame as the inventor of ironclad, warships, used in the Civil War as well as the inventor of the screw propeller Erickson, filled Alfred's, minds with dreams of what he could do if he was able to tame the, nitroglycerine after. A year in America Alfred returned to San Petersburg his family recognized, a changed, young man his, brother Ludvig recalled Alfred, had grown so that I hardly knew him he is almost as tall as I and his, voice has become so deep and strong that I didn't, recognize it but Alfred did more than change physically the young man who had left with lots of ideas but little Direction, now had a goal, to turn my producer, in into a commercially, usable blasting. Agent for use in tunnels and to create fear-inspiring weapons, of war that was so terrible, that nations, would be deterred, from ever going to war in the first place first, though Alfred had to come to the help of the family he worked alongside his brothers in one of his father's factories, that the physical work proved too much for his weakened body he was often too sick to work and on one occasion in. 1854. He became so unwell that his father packed him off to the spar town a friend, man to recuperate by, now in Manuel's business it was flourishing his submerged, explosive, mine was in high demand along with other munitions to supply, the Russian forces in fighting the Crimean War of, 1853. Through. 1856. By, 1853. Emanuel was employing more than a thousand, people in his factories, and the Russian, government was so pleased with him that they awarded him the Imperial, gold medal in recognition, of his diligence, and creative, skill in Russian, industry, in between overseeing, his manufacturing empire, Emanuel found time to collaborate, with Alfred, on the nitroglycerin problem, but even in manual with his vast experience could. Not find a safe, way to detonate the substance the end of the Crimean, War in 1856. Saw a sharp downturn in business for the noble company Emanuel. Was forced to change his focus from armaments, production to, churning, out household, and industrial implements.
But Still the, business suffered, by, 1859. Emanuel, found himself facing bankruptcy for, the second time he closed the factory liquidate. His assets and, moved with his wife and youngest son and mill back to Sweden Alfred, and his two older brothers Ludwig and Robert stayed, on in San Petersburg, twenty-eight-year-old Ludvig was given, the job of consolidating. And running the remnants, of the nobles, Russian, operation he rebranded the company as the Ludvig noble mechanical. Factory Alfred spent about four hours each day helping, out with a family business the rest of the day he worked on his passion to tame nitroglycerin. Alfred's. First step was to learn to create nitroglycerin, himself, by 1861. He had accomplished that goal after spending up to 18 hours a day in a small factory building the first breakthrough came when he discovered how, to transport, a nitroglycerin safely. By first soaking, it in coal, dust now, suddenly nitroglycerine, was a viable explosive, engineering. Companies from all over the world came to the noble company to purchase, the products and the money started, rolling in Alfred's, next challenge was to find a safe way to detonate. The nitroglycerin in September, of 1864. Though tragedy, struck the swedish noble company factory, a vat of nitroglycerin had been overheated in the resulting explosion five, people. Killed including Alfred's. Younger brother and mil Alfred, himself was working in the next building and he suffered minor injuries in the disaster rather, than being put off from working with nitroglycerin, Alfred. Threw himself into, making, the explosive, safer to give up now would be in his view to allow his brother to have died in vain in 1865. He built a factory in Hamburg Germany it so happens that the soil around the Hamburg factory, was special, it contained, minut, particles, of fossils when, nitroglycerine was, poured into the soil it turns into, a doughy, consistency this. Process in effect puts the nitroglycerine, to, sleep in order to wake it up the detonation purposes, and about invented, the blasting, cap, Alfred knew that a fuse could not be used directly to, detonate nitroglycerine but, that gunpowder could be used to detonate it a fuse could be used to detonate, the Gunpowder which would then ignite, the nitroglycerine by, 1867. He had mastered the use of small copper capsules, of mercury fulminate which, was ignited. By a fuse to detonate. The nitroglycerin this, blasting, cap would wake, up the nitroglycerine which, was packed into a doughy soil base Nobel calls the combination, of nitroglycerine blasting. Cap and soil dynamite. Nobel patented, dynamite and began putting it on the commercial market it, was an immediate success with engineers, from all over the world hammering, to get their hands on it virtually, overnight. Alfred, became rich beyond, his wildest, dreams. We, can get an idea of how much money came, in by an anecdote, apparently, true concerning. His housemaids, wedding, when Alfred asked her what she would like as a gift the various Stuttgart replied as much, as you make in a day the, following day Nobel, gave her a check for. $100,000. Alfred himself never married but he did have at least three, great loves throughout, his life while living in Russia in his early 20s he fell for a Russian girl by the name of Alexandria. Painfully. Shy he finally, built up the gumption, to tell the girl how he felt about her but his affections, were roundly, rejected, the rebuff hurt him badly and for the next 20 years he, refused to let his heart be broken again Nobel consciously, portrayed, himself as a hermit and an eccentric, he once wrote the following about himself.
I'm A misanthrope, yet utterly benevolence, have more than one screw loose yes, a super. Idea list who digests. Philosophy, more efficiently, than, a food even, though he had money to purchase literally. Anything he wanted alfred, was rather frugal, this may have been a reflection of the extreme, poverty, that he had experienced, in his childhood he had no interest in purchasing, such tokens, of wealth as elegant, carriages, clothing or food but, would invest liberally, in new estates and business, ventures Nobel was known to have a temper it was a man who did not suffer fools with many occasions, being recorded where he was rude with people usually those who worked them he was get, to the point type of guy yet he also had the ability to charm, potential, investors, when the need warranted, it. In. 1876. Alfred apparently, tun out of his life of solitude and placed an advertisement in, the newspaper that, read as follows, wealthy, highly educated gentleman seeks lady of mature age versed, in languages, as secretary. And supervisor, of household after interviewing a number of applicants, alfred employed a woman by the name of bertha, Kinski 33. Year old bertha, was extremely, attractive, and noble was immediately, attracted to her it was also taken, with her obvious, intelligence and wit but that did not return her employers, affections, in fact she already had a fiance after a few months probably feeling, in the tease with the situation, she resigned, as noble secretary, still, the two remained friends and they maintained an active letter correspondence. Right up until the time of nobles death she, in fact became the recipient, of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905. Some. Weeks after Bertha, left his employee Nobel met a young woman by the name of Sophie Hess despite, the fact that alfred was 43, and sophie was just 20 they entered into a relationship, there was to last for eighteen years apparently, embarrassed, by the age gap Nobel, kept the relationship a secret the age difference was not the only thing that seemed to work against, the relationship, sophie, was uncouth, uneducated and. Ill-mannered, their relationship, it was a toxic one in 1891, Sophie became pregnant to another man but Alfred, held out hope for their relationship, until she married, the child's father three years later even, then he sent her an annual, allowance of six thousand florins. Nobel. Never had any children despite his immense wealth he filled his days with work often, going non-stop for 20 hours in 1875. He invented gel ignite which proved to be a safer, explosive, than dynamite in the late 1860's, alfred, set up a number of plants across Europe in the United States in June of 1866. He started the United, States blasting, oil company the first nitro company in the US he also spent increasing, amounts of time and money protecting, his patented, inventions, from fraudsters who tried, to make money off his hard work, alfred was convinced, that his invention of dynamite would ultimately be, good for mankind saying that my dynamite, will sooner lead to peace than a thousand World conventions, as soon as men will find that in one instant hole our knees can be utterly, destroyed they, surely will, abide in golden, peace as history. Has borne out his faith, in mankind it, was sadly misplaced, in 1869, while traveling in Florence no belt met Paul barber graduate, of the Ecole Polytechnique barber. Who came from an affluent family, was fascinated, with no bells dynamite, and proposed partnership. He offered to finance the production of dynamite, in France and told Nobel that he wanted to learn how to produce himself, he had no bells interest mainly because France was envied, in the industry, for that state monopolies that had held over explosives, production, the two men came to an agreement by. Which all profits would be split fifty-fifty, the French Enterprise was a success, and that soon expanded, to factories, in Spain Switzerland in, Italy in 1868, alfred set his sights on establishing, a dynamite, company in england he considered this to be the prime location as it would open up the entire british, empire as his, new market, he spent several months traveling around britain's, mining, districts, looking for suitable, factory, locations, the best chances for investment, came from Scotland after much negotiation the. British dynamite company was formed in 1871. Alfred purchased a four-story, mansion, and estate in paris as well as a greenhouse for his prized organs, and stables, for his beloved horses, the estate it also had a private laboratory for, the next decade alfred spent the bulk of his time working in this lab along, with his assistant of, georges a Ferren bark it, was here that he discovered what he considered to be dynamite, 2.0.
Gel Ignite gel, ignite was not any more stable than dynamite a calls the greater explosion, and was easier to shape overall the substance it was simply much safer, and easier to handle than dynamite the new invention was an even greater success than dynamite and it caused even more money to flow into the noble coffers, in 1881, alfred grant dissatisfied, with the facilities, in his paris mansion laboratory, he bought another estate, this one located some 15 miles from paris in the town of sevran here he builds a larger, and better-equipped slab he based himself in the town but ran into problems with the French authorities when, he refused to comply with their new regulations, and policies, which he considered to be unnecessarily. Restrictive, amazingly, the French government charged him with high crimes and treason he, was forced to close, new lab and he left for Italy the French government forbade him from ever working, in their country again prior to his ouster from France Alfred had been working on his latest invention ballast tight he, continued this work at his new lab in San Remo in Italy Palestine, was a smokeless propellants that, combines. Nitrocellulose. And nitroglycerine the, rights to the new explosive were leased to the Italian government who began using the m18, nine zero Vettel, II rifles, which used cartridges that were loaded with ballasts tight. Alfred's. Brother Ludvig, died in 1888. The newspapers, however reported, that it was the far more famous Alfred who had passed away as a result Snowbell had the rare experience, of reading his own obituary what, he read it shocked him to, his core virtually. Every, newspaper that he looked at seemed, to glory and his supposed demise. One French headline announced, the merchant of death is, dead, another, report stated dr., Alfred Nobel the mutilator, who became rich by finding, ways to kill more people faster, than ever before died. Yesterday Nobel. Was devastated. At the realization. That the end result of his life's work was to be worldwide condemnation he. Decided that he, had to do something to turn around his reputation and, whatever, time he had left in 1893, alfred employed a personal, assistant by the name of Ragnar Solman and appointed, him as the executor. Of his will the, two men worked diligently on, the documents, over the next two years then, on November the 27th, 1895. Alfred, signs the will of the Swedish, Norwegian club in Paris it, was a will like, no other Alfred, left 94. Percent of his total wealth the equivalent, of, 265. Million, 2018. Dollars to, the awarding, of a number of annual prizes to individuals, who according, to the will during, the preceding, year have conferred the greatest, benefit, on mankind the, will spelled out five, categories, physics, medicine chemistry literature. And peace, the Peace Prize was to be given to the person who has done the most or best work for fraternity. Between the nations and abolition. Or reduction, of standing armies and the formation, and spreading, of peace, congresses today, there is a sixth, agree economics, that this was not added until the end of the 20th century. In. His. Late 50s no girls health was increasingly. Causing him problems his, heart was especially weak in an attempts to self-medicate he began administering doses, of, nitroglycerin, this, quite likely contributed. To his deteriorating, state his, body finally, gave out on December, the 10th 1896. Following. A stroke he was 63. Years of age Nobel, Prizes began to be awarded five years later. So. Today's video is a great example of how science can be used for both good and for, bad and Alfred Nobel is not alone in his position in history as someone who used science, to create something, truly devastating. But if we cannot understand, him we cannot hope to control, it and when it comes to understanding science. There's really no better place to do that than at brilliance they are a learning platform which teaches you through something called active, learning, basically, this means that instead of staring at some text and complicated, diagrams, and equations you, solve, problems actively, I've been using brilliant to get a feel of how this works and it's a bit like this I don't know that sitting down when I was a student looking at a textbook and reading a paragraph and then having no idea what really happens I'd go back over it again and again and I'd still not really get it or I'd get it a little what, brilliant has absolutely, none of that each thing you read is immediately, applied I chose a random, topic in brilliant as an example for this message and in five minutes I understood, what vectors scalars, and displacement.
Were In physics, it's, pretty crazy because if those were just written down in a paragraph like I mentioned before I'd just be like maybe, with what now it would make no sense this, is why brilliant, is so great if you like learning and I'm gonna guess you are because you're watching a channel like this one you will love brilliance, it's such a good way to master. Complex, scientific, concepts, do you support bio graphics, and to learn more about brilliance, please go to brilliant dot org slash, bar graphics, and sign up for free also the first 200 people to go through that link will get 20% off the premium, annual, subscription. So as always I really hope you've enjoyed that video if you did please do hit that thumbs up button and don't forget to subscribe brand, new videos every Monday and every, Thursday and as always I'll see you in the next one. You.
2018-09-28 14:22
Do one on Haber, a scientist who also brought good and ill, a way to both make fertilizer and explosives more quickly. As well as developing poison gas in WWI one of which, Zyklon B, will be used to kill members of his family in WW2.
Baldy
+
He injected nitroglycerin...lol. i was very impressed with this man until at the end of his life he used nitro to heal himself. Oh my lord. I guess he figured it worked great for most everything else why not inject it and see if i perk up...
ip man should be next!
13:46 "Tried to make money off "his hard work" by working hard to create their own businesses , their own factories, on a free capitalist market..... thank you mister fascist for your kind words.
Rather than seeing a piece of a film of a black i would rather see a hog eating slop
If you rub out certain inferior type's in this world there would be no more problems
Military use of explosives is minor compared with their use in mining and construction.
Awesome video as usual- great work guys! I would _really_ love to see one on Alistair Crowley, it would be very interesting
Killing baddies is a good thing.
They awarded Obama a peace prize, without him having resolving any conflict. Then went on to continue the foreign policy of death.
I've watched all your videos at 2x speed and made it through them all in one day. Felt like johnny 5 reading a book "Inpuuuuut"
cool video! I live near one of Nobels old factory sites and oftenwalks by there, now I know his backgruond to!
9:25 "Nobel invented the blasting cap...Alfred knew that a fuse could not be used to detonate nitroglycerine" ...Wrong nitroglycerine will detonate with a fuse, it was the dynamite that could not be detonated with a fuse. 16:21 The French forbade him from ever working in their country again. 20:51 Alfred signed the will at the Swedish Norwegian club in Paris
However, the committee that determines who is Given the prize are a bunch of LUNATICS! Giving Obama peace prize b4 he ever did anything and giving Bob Dylan the literature prize! Fuckin@ LIBERAL LUNATICS
Great work as always, but I'm surprised at the lack of even a passing mention of his facilities at Björkborn, Karlskoga. The town is still known as "Alfred Nobel's Karlskoga". He even ran Bofors (yes, that Bofors) for a number of years.
Tony Stark's character in Iron Ma was based on him.
4:31 what is this glorious mustache?
Come on, this is some bollocks. Dynamite is extremely useful in construction and excavation. It's not the dude's fault how people chose to use his invention. Inanimate objects are not inherently good or evil. It's how we use them. If you're a murderous socioath, you can kill a man with a styletto shoe. That doesn't make the shoe evil.
You should cover John Moses Browning.
"Alfred Nobel used science to create something truly devastating"..... Oh, shut it. Dynamite is awesome and has, in fact, saved countless lives.
Please be clear: detonation is not the same thing as explosion.
Good Work Man.
Well his ideology is SOMEWHAT realized today with nuke. Turns out, it just takes a big enough explosion for human to not kill each other. Let hope so! One more thing, Alfred Nobel = the Merchant of Death Robert Oppenheimer = the Destroyer of Worlds Somehow both of these two men died before witnessing the destruction of their world brought by their own life's work. Nobel passed away before WW1, and Oppenheimer was gone before WW3.
Honestly, I know the man was wealthy and intelligent; but if you analyze his life...that is a pretty sad life. The man was successful in his work, but his personal life was dismal. Clearly he didn’t want to be alone, but that wasn’t the way it would work. It goes to show one key truth... money can’t buy everything.
Pls do ramon magsaysay
Please cover the life and work of Milton Friedman.
No mentioning that the Nobel family at one point was one of the biggest oil producers in the world? Only second to the Rockefeller oil cartel? If you invent something that makes a bang it is apparently hard to be known for anything else.
Love your videos and your podcast... great stuff
You can't be serious. The house caught fire, then the children were sent out into the street to sell "matches?" So they could help other families burn their houses down too? Simon, did you write this?
What was the music used in the in between parts
So he wanted to create a weapon so powerful that no one would use it? How can a brilliant man be such a complete and utter moron? Absolute madness.
Quite a complex character. It's fascinating how handicaps in one direction can often lead to advantages in another. Wonderful if you can cope with such disadvantages.
Nobel should have faced some kind of crime. Not just get off Scot free
Alla vill minnas den store Alfred Nobel Konsten att spränga gjorde han industriell
Seriously, why did Pres. Obama win the peace prize?
Great bio! Can we have a video about Milton Friedman?
Cool video but too much talking head footage.
Lol tf you mean? She ugly ASF!
SIMON WHISTLER HOW MANY YOUTUBE CHANNELS DO YOU HAVE MOFO?
The peace prize is the lesser of the prizes and should not be compared to the others. It is also the only one that is given away by a Norwegian committee. The reason for this is unknown but a theory is that Nobel considered Sweden too militaristic. During Nobels life Norway was a part of Sweden btw.
The reason is known. During his life and all the way up until 1905, Norway was effectively occupied under the pretense of a union in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars. That hardly sat well, which was widely known. Giving them the peace prize was meant to be a token of fraternity, as befits the ideals of the prize. This decision was probably influenced by Nobel spending many years in Karlskoga, Värmland, a province bordering Norway. I was born in Karlskoga (which has a fantastic museum at Björkborn about Nobel) and grew up in Karlstad, where the Union was dissolved in 1905. We celebrated the centenary in 2005 and I attended with my school class.
Nobel was lucky. Many inventors have their inventions stolen by corporations
Always excellent. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Gotta feel sorry for that man not finding his luck with any woman...
Where is Rusher located? Just wondering.
Great video but it didn't properly explain that dynamite was not what made Nobel the merchant of death, but his ownership of the Bofors company.
You know nothing of man kind ...so please stop judging so
Come out of his shell....lol
Every going to do Adol f Hitl er?
Never would have found out his dad invented Plywood if not for this bio. Love this channel, keep up the good work mate
And as always thank you for the edutainment
Really, Simon? I know it's historical, but did you really have to put it in the title? The man has done so much for science, I feel like you're being a tad disrespectful. You know he was bothered by it, and gunpowder was around long before he was born. He eventually made many things much safer. Sorry for the rant, I just think you should have been nicer. You could have at least put quotes around it.
9:06 the factory was in Geesthacht not Hamburg
Alfred Nobel’s prediction that the mass destruction enabled by high explosives would make war unpalatable finally came into existence with the discovery of nuclear fission and fusion and the proliferation of nuclear weapons during the 20th century. Nobel was a bit too early in his prediction.
Very true, good ideas David, nice seeing logic on the internet
Incredibly click-baity and deceptive title.
Alfred Nobel was a really good man. He was a genius, no less of course, and he never meant for his invention to go torwards war and killing, but he meant it purely for the purpose of mining more efficiently.
There is an irony in the scientist who worked his whole life at making something extremely hazardous safer to use being called the "Merchant of Death".
Alfred Going His Own Way
finnaly thank you for talking about 1 of our most underated swedes, how diffrent the world would have been without his inventions.
Do a video on Elvis Presley
Freddie Mercury now!
Please do a video on Karl Benz.
I don't normally leave suggestions, but I have two that are far beyond the "normal" biographic scope, namely John Dee and Roger Bacon, two scholars of ancient and esoteric brand that most people I know have never heard of. If it helps at all, Dee was, for a time, a spy for the British Crown, and went by the sign "007."
Reinhard Heydrich
Can you do a biography on Dr Ambedkar
Barrack Hussein obamba winner of nobel peace prize. Was senator of the murder capital of the United States before being awarded the sham prize. I'm mediately after receiving the sham he hand wrote an order that resulted in the deaths of eighteen women and children. It's the Nobel death prize. That's exactly wtf it is
0:41 - History Buff flashbacks!
Do Pol Pot Of the Khmer Rouge
also the first recorded use of this explosive is the Mexican Revolution im surprised you didnt mention it
LI-tri-cha! You sir, are EXCRUCIATINGLY BRITISH!
Could you do one on the comedian Andy Kaufman he was a very weird comedian from the 70s and 80s some think of him more as a performance artist then a comedian
Seriously, why do people make weapons so powerful that they are naive enough to think that nobody would use it? Power corrupts. That's my point. Something people like Nobel didn't keep in mind while making dynamite.
Because if they didn't war would continue the old fashion way until the end of humanity.
What do the colors of each individual's background represent? Alfred Nobel's background color is blue.
great video, do the life of Martin Luther!
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Norway, because Alfred thought the it would be hypocritical to have it being awarded by the violent Swedes.
Alfred never gave an answer as for why Norway should give out the Peace Prize, and although your guess is just as valid, so is mine. Read the third to last sentence FROM THE NOBEL HOMEPAGE! "Nobel etterlot ingen forklaring på hvorfor fredsprisen skulle deles ut av en norsk komite mens de andre prisene skulle forvaltes av svenske komiteer. På dette punktet må vi altså nøye oss med kvalifiserte gjetninger. Her er noen av de mest sannsynlige: Nobel, som tilbrakte mesteparten av livet utenlands og skrev sitt testamente i den svensk-norske klubben i Paris, kan ha blitt påvirket av den norske unionen med Sverige. Siden de vitenskapelige prisene skulle deles ut av de mest kompetente, altså svenske, komiteene burde dermed den gjenstående prisen deles ut av en norsk komite. Nobel kan ha vært klar over Det norske Stortings markante interesse for fredelig konfliktløsning internasjonalt på 1890-tallet. Det er mulig at han faktisk anså Norge som et mer fredsorientert og demokratisk land enn Sverige. Sist men ikke minst kan Nobel ha vært påvirket av sin beundring for norsk skjønnlitteratur, især for forfatteren Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, en kjent fredsaktivist i 1890-årene. Muligens var det en kombinasjon av disse faktorene." (Kilde: nobelprize.org)
What a load of bs, it was to be given to Norway because of the Union. And that Nobel somehow thought Norwegians were competent enough.
Any chance of a video on Field-Marshal Mannerheim of Finland? A truly interesting character who had a great impact in international affairs
Excellent , as usual !
Thank you for sharing!!!
Wow Alfred Nobel was a cuck
Very sad he sounded like a great person
It would be interesting to have a video on Niels Bohr
Can you change your sound mixing? I enjoy these but the sound design is harsh
Can you please do one on a Mr. Simon Whistler please ???
Hey Simon! Have ever considered doing a program on the Black Donnellys of Canada! Might make an entertaining biographical! I thoroughly enjoy all you various programs and your podcast! Keep up the excellent work!
Can u please do a video on Fransisco Franco
Do a video about Fridtjof Nansen or Roald Amundsen
Why are all the Nobel prizes in Stockholm except the most important one the Nobel peace prize which is given in Oslo?
During his life and all the way up until 1905, Norway was effectively occupied under the pretense of a union in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars. That hardly sat well, which was widely known. Giving them the peace prize was meant to be a token of fraternity, as befits the ideals of the prize. This decision was probably influenced by Nobel spending many years in Karlskoga, Värmland, a province bordering Norway. I was born in Karlskoga and grew up in Karlstad, where said union was peacefully dissolved in 1905. My school went and celebrated the centenary in 2005.
Do more videos on Asian personalities please.
You’ve done an outstanding job with this channel. My only suggestion would be to add less dramatic music in the intermissions between periods of life, and maybe throw in some witty humor that can be found on the Today I Found Out Channel. Just suggestions though, keep up the good work
The Peace Prize has become a joke. The Nobel award should be for science only.
Nobel disagrees with you. He valued peace as highly as he did science. Are you saying that individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr. and many more great champions of peace should be discredited due to a few misplaced awards? Ridiculous.
It is a shame that the Nobel prize has turn into a contest more about image than work. Guys like Chinua Achebe never got it because he spoke his mind.
Well, rather than dynamite, it was nuclear weapons that has given a small piece of world peace. Powerful countries have not fought directly since World War II, knowing they will annihilate each other.
Wait until the little ones get some nukes
Brilliant telling of Nobel's story.
Do one on Hermann Goering!
He would turn in his grave if he saw some of the people who have received the prize.
When Samuel Goldwyn was told about Hiroshima he said ."That A bomb is dynamite"!
Rasputin next???
Simon, thanks so much for these biographies, I watch them all and they're great.
Nobel fell for a Cardi B, who knew?
Wait what he didn't know what vectors and scalars were? That's GCSE physics man wth
Does anyone know the piece of music on intro .it's pretty good ?
will one man's dreams other man's nightmare.
18:14 *BARACK OBAMA* *WINNER OF PEACE PRIZE* *KILLED THE MOST AMOUNT OF CHILDREN OUT OF ALL OF THE WINNERS*
Pretty sure Henry Kissinger beat him at that
ANY inventors: hey look! i have a new invention that could help people live nicer! ANY government: how fast it kills(be it spoon or spatula)
Nitroglycerin was used as heart medication (for angina if I remember correctly) up until at least the 1970s. Bayer were one of the producers. Nobel was probably correct in using it for his own ailment.
Is it just me or does Robert Oppenheimer’s story echo a lot like Nobel’s?
I keep thinking my phone is ringing when he pauses, nevertheless it's a small price to pay for great content......
Too bad the Nobel prizes are used to award intellectual dimwits and to infer political nonsense, socialism and pc propoganda upon the world by awarding people who do not deserve the prizes. Also, the prizes are used to force the hands of governments and make popular dangerous ideals and incompetent leaders.
Hmm Palladio by Karl jerkins I love it
You forgot to mention that nitroglycerine is still used to this day as a emergency heart medication.
Why 720p?
The first thought in my head when it comes to dynamite is its use in mining and construction. I think it has been far more beneficial through those uses.
Can you do an episode on Nikolai's moustache?
whats the song at 13:20?
wow 100k$ for her brithday in the 1800's jesus
So... why did Mother Teresa get a Nobel Peace Prize? For glorifying suffering, withholding medical care to hundreds of sick children in India, stealing money, supporting a psychopathic dictator, and condemning birth control in overpopulated countries? I don't see how any of that is worthy of a prize.
Sooooooooooo am I the only one who didn't realize it was about the noble peace prize until the end.
Little known fact: Alfred was a blast at parties.
What sort of an idiot put this ridiculous title on the video! Everything can be used for many purposes, good and bad, it all depends on the people! Do not fix the products of invention, fix the people! On this principle, we should put the same label on the inventors of all the good things in life, from metal alloys to cars to airplanes, simply because they can also be used for hurting people.
Could you do Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X?
Were about the Life of George Bridgetower he was a black man in Classic Vien and played with the greatest of all time.
Aw, Alfred Nobel was a cuckold. Lame. Now I'm glad I don't have a Nobel prize.
Nobel was a great man. 25-50yrs ahead of his time. His inventions went a long ways in allowing/facilitating the world's population from 2b to 8b. Was there some mucking about; WW1,WW2, ColdWar, Vietnam... *OF COURSE!* There is no making without breaking. But in the end 2018 current yr we are 6b bundles of joy to the good in 200yrs.
This is really good.
Get your fact's straight. Ericson did not invent the ships propeller. THIS guy did...... Josef Ressel By 1827, Czech-Austrian inventor Josef Ressel had invented a screw propeller which had multiple blades fastened around a conical base. He had tested his propeller in February 1826 on a small ship that was manually driven. He was successful in using his bronze screw propeller on an adapted steamboat (1829).
the papers didn't seem to care at the time of his brother's death, so, yeah
All this sicly ,introvent,vorneble,whont dy childeren when groveing up are the ones who allway invent themost,destructive meens to destoy other mans lives.
I don't think there is anyone today familiar with Alfred Nobel who thinks of him as a merchant of death or anything of the sort, and I'm not sure anyone thought of him that way then until his misreported obituary. It was much more an issue of journalists, then as now, looking for the most spectacular and controversial angle to report any story.
Barack Obama won the Nobel peace prize for doing Nothing -- the Liberals award themselves medals.
JUST LIKE EINSTEIN ,HE SAID IF I KNEW WHAT PEOPLE WILLDO WITH MY DISCOVERY ,I WISH I HAD BECOME A 'WATCHMAKER''.
4:30 how the hell does a chemist keep a moustache like that? xD
Germany didn't exist in 1865.
So interesting that he was administering nitro to himself in the end and what do we still use to this day, in case of symptoms of heart attack or stroke? Nitroglycerin. He was just probably using too much, but it was the right line of thinking.
The idea was revolutionary though. It was actually correct, cause we use it to this very day, only as a sublingual spray instead. For relief from symptoms of a possible heart attack or stroke. Works good too (only meant for semi emergencies however, like chest pains, numbness not as a regular daily medicine). He was probably using it too much and it led to his demise, but even in death, he made a useful medical discovery which followed and exists still.
@ MichalBayModernFellini - absolutely correct.
+JAFO I think the people of Japan know very well the consequences of nuclear weapons. I will take some time now to dwell on your thoughts to better understand your point of view
Nuclear weapons haven't made war unpalatable.. all they've succeeded in doing is making sure that war doesn't escalate to the point of using such weapons.. so far, at least. We've come damn close to it a couple of times, *despite* knowing the consequences.
That was a hell of a mustache
A shame that nowdays the nobel prize is becoming a circlejerk of elites congratulating each other
The "Nobel Peace Prize" is the most meaningless thing that has ever been awarded to anyone, besides for enriching the recipient. It is probably the first case of "virtue signaling" ever.
I don't know whether it is still used but I know for a fact that in the 1960s my Godmother carried it with her always because she was subject to mild heart attacks. It was a small pill put under the tongue to dissolve.
comment section: do this guy from my country's history!!
Why is noble peace prize awarded by Norway? While the rest awarded by Sweden.
rich people around the world ,take note.
Emcee Schwartz lol you old! Johnny 5 is alive!
August the 21st? :-)
Hi Simon. I love TOP TENZ and this channel. I have kearned so much from watch both shows. Off this topic, fo you have other shows and could you please do more as far as the ww1 in depth and european monarchies like Romanov actullay all monarchs no rush. If you were my professor I would have paid more attention in school!!!!!! Thank you. P.s. Pick othet topics on both shows. I'm sure I'll like whatever you pick. KEEP UP THE AWESOME JOB.
Hypocritical humans LOVE to deny their source. If it wasn't for this "merchant of death"- NONE of you would exsist!
It's really a shame that some of the most intelligent men of history were also some of the most naive, or at least that's the way the narratives have been passed down.
It's possible but not likely that taking NTG as a medication contributed to his death.
4:30 what a moustache, wow
A lesson in trusting the media. "Merchant of death"- scaring you into hating a man who wanted to end war. whose invention mined countless minerals for YOUR betterment!
Hypocritical humans LOVE to deny their source. Alfred Nobel was an intellectual innocent. Gullible, but innocent. You want the real merchant of death?; Look at Fritz Haber- he taught people to fix nitrogen from the air- making ammonia- then fertilizers, then explosives. He extended WW1 by a full year, at least! (Mined saltpeter sources were denied Germany- they relied on the "Fritz-Haber process" to make more) He then aspired to a "higher form of killing"- Chemical weapons! his wife killed herself in protest of it, yet he felt duty bound to keep going. Yet, 75% of the worlds population ONLY exist because of chemical fertilizers created by his process. Plants can't produce enough to feed this world without his creations. The Bastard.
To this day dyno nobel explosives still produces close to 100% of the north American markets nitro products. Anything that isn't grown has to be blasted first.
how fitting that obama got the prize only to go on to drone striking the crap out of wedding parties in the middle east...dont you just fuking love the irony
Typical genius : so tone deaf & clueless about the consequences of their inventions
"1 of 4 of just 8 children to survive"?? Huh?
i love history and all these videos thank u for all the info
Actually, they do use a form of nitro today to treat certain heart conditions and even toxemia (an illness that effects pregnant women that I have had myself). He may have been self medicating for angina, a condition that causes chest pain.
Why was economics added? That's not a science.
do a john wayne biography
That's factually incorrect. People involved with the creation of nuclear weapons won Nobel Prizes. Two bombs killed the entire populations of two cities.
I love your bio videos. they pack a lot into a small clip. I think sometimes that short and sweet are much nicer. keep them coming!!!
You look very young. Total gilf.
You are a grandma? Let me hear you say it. "I'm white trash and im in trouble."
Nice rack.
Are you really friendly Andy? It doesn't seem like it.
Great channel, but the talking is too fast, what's the rush...???
I do try to limit my abrasiveness to a minimum yes. But you are right there was some sarcasm involved in choosing the name. I also stand by my admiration of the moustache. It deserves a ribbon at least.
Narrator has great eyebrow action!
The real iron man
With the dark web, it can.
Vid ends at 59:59
.
Bxh
Wow I look up to this man! What a life he lived. And has caused all to live long after his death.
I didn't know much about him, thanks. He could be called the Father on the Nuclear Bomb.
It’s sad they give away that award these days to people who have did little o earn it
He invented tools. People chose to use them as weapons. People kill people.
And Obama renders the award worthless.
Are you going to do Miklos Horthy?
so he had no woman, made a fortune, and 100 years later we have economic nobel prizes. Oh the evil a lack of a woman can make to the world.
"Bertha was extremely attractive"... huh? Where?
Has a Biographics been done on Rasputin? I haven't been able to find one and I think he would've had to be pretty interesting to have his own Boney M song.
What a poor misunderstood man...
This incredible man believed that man would see how lethal dynamite could be and no longer desire to fight one another. I dream of the day my world view becomes that optimistic.
1:30 I couldn’t even speak until I was 4
True
I have played it over & over again and still can't understand what else Ericsson invented besides iron clad war ships during the civil war!!
Do one on jesus of nazereth ?
I enjoyed the historic pictures. Typically, France is puzzling. High treason? Get a life...
The shoe is evil. Stiletto shoes will kill your feet!
He must be the only super rich guy in history who didn't have hoes blocking out the sun wherever he went. That one lady ran off with another guy and he still sent her money?
John Moses Browning would make a good video
By the time i was 8 i could speak 5 languages now thats india
My teeth jut went
Lovely
Stalin killed millions and you call him 'The Red Terror'. Pol Pot killed 25% of his country's people and you refer to him as 'The Man Behind The Khmer Rouge'. Nobel invents dynamite and you call him 'The Merchant Of Death'.
The greatest shame attached to the Nobel name is Obama being awarded the peace prize for no other reason than winning an election while using $100's of millions in illegal campaign contributions.
I like the Swedes. If they are not constructing things (Lego etc.) they are destroying them. Dolph Lundgren (famous Swedish action-man actor) has a degree in Chemical engineering. He knows how to blow up a bridge, I'll wager !
"Who with the what now? "-ur so adorbs.
The nitroglycerin administraion probably helped with his heart. Its a common treatment used for heart issues. Not sure if it was common knowledge at the time. If not he was a genius.
Damn..Thats alot of inventions from different Swedes. For all their peaceful ways they sure love to develop new ways for people to kill eachother.
Could you maybe do Nostradamus?
Alfred was almost correct. His explosives were not powerful enough to prevent wars. Atomic weapons seem to made wars unprofitable whereas dynamite did not.
In other words, these inventions are tools. They are not evil or good. It is the people who wield them.
At least dynamite had practical uses. Mining, railroads, MT Rushmore and Wile E Coyote cartoons..
Why? He is not very interesting.. At all
Well Said.! Einstein didn't seem to have remorse.. his invention didn't help wile e coyote. Just "MY" THEORY..
You need Nitro to put out an Oil Fire.
The Nobel prize has become a joke. Nobel would roll over in his grave if he could see what ass holes were receiving the prizes.
What is it with certain famous people being born with health problems even if they aren't of royal blood?
I’m embarrassed to admit I had no idea about any of this
I really enjoy your programs but would like to view them at a slower pace. I realize that you have limited time to air the shows but speaking at a slightly slower pace in my opinion would make for a better experience for the viewer.
He was born on October 21st...
You should do Nicholas Cage the “lord of war”
you do realize that cardiologists prescribe nitro to cardiac patients to expand the arterial walls; to allow increased blood flow in otherwise blocked arteries, right?
dO FrEddIE MeRcuRy
Very recommendable
I would like to see a video about Ivar Kreuger, the millionaire match king.