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American Innovations

Wondery

Steven Johnson, History, Kids & Family, Education For Kids, Science

4.6 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 April 2020

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Alfred Nobel had solved the critical problem of detonating nitroglycerine reliably, but his efforts to turn his new "blasting oil" into a successful commercial product create new challenges. An explosion in his Stockholm lab leads to personal tragedy, and draws the ire of local authorities. And a wave of industrial accidents involving nitroglycerine around the globe has critics accusing Alfred of murder.

Alfred knows that if his "blasting oil" is ever going to realize its potential, he's going to have to figure out a way to keep it from accidentally exploding during storage and transport. Nitroglycerine is clearly the most powerful explosive known to man. The question is: can Alfred's customers actually use the stuff without blowing themselves up in the process?

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to American innovations
0:03.6	and free on Amazon Music.
0:05.6	Download the app today.
0:07.6	It's September 3rd, 1864, a beautiful late summer morning on the outskirts of Stockholm.
0:22.6	Inside of former co-chouse, Alfred Nobel inspects more than a dozen stacked barrels of nitroglycerin.
0:29.6	It's been two years since he invented his blasting cap, a mechanism that for the first time,
0:35.6	he built the safe detonation of nitroglycerin.
0:38.6	Now he's moved from the realm of experimental chemistry into the realm of business.
0:43.6	If all goes well, the nitroglycerin inside these barrels will soon be put to use blasting railway tunnels,
0:51.6	connecting towns and cities across Europe.
0:55.6	Alfred's younger brother, Emil, 21 years old, is carefully filling a vial with an amber oil.
1:01.6	Despite the delicate work, he's smiling.
1:04.6	After years of pleading, Emil's finally been given a job working in his brother's lab.
1:09.6	His friend from university, C.E. Herzmann, is working alongside him.
1:13.6	And while Alfred is notorious for his gloomy disposition, today he's unusually upbeat.
1:19.6	Alfred finishes counting the barrels.
1:22.6	16, 17, 18 already.
1:25.6	What did you say it was, Emil? 14 pounds of nitroglycerin per barrel?
1:29.6	Yes, almost exactly 14. I'd say we have at least 250 pounds of it already.
1:34.6	They're close to filling a large order for a Swedish rail company,
1:38.6	Amemberg and Northern Railways.
1:40.6	The deal is worth about $20,000 in today's currency.
	...

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