Double-edged sword

The double-edged sword of discovery is exemplified by the life of Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel, who left instructions in his will to recognize people whose work was of the greatest benefit to mankind.

Nobel made a fortune by inventing dynamite, which greatly improved the safety of explosives. He initially hoped that his invention would put an end to war, by making it so horrible that no one would want to engage in it. He was wrong – fundamentally wrong -- but the wealth generated from his invention did create the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nobel was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833. His father Immanuel Nobel, an engineer and inventor, had designed steam engines and underwater mines that protected St. Petersburg, Russia, during the Crimean War. He also was a pioneer in arms manufacturing, and had experimented with different techniques of blasting rock.

When Alfred was young, the family moved to Russia so his farther could start a new career after going into bankruptcy. There, Alfred and his brothers received a first-class education, and by the age of 17, Alfred was fluent in five languages, with interests ranging from chemistry to English poetry. Soon after, young Nobel was sent to Paris for more training in chemical engineering. This gave him the foundation for the work that would place him in history books.

Probably no Swede is as well-known throughout the world as Alfred Nobel.

A meeting with Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero, inventor of nitroglycerine, led to

Nobel's invention of dynamite. Because nitroglycerine and its production were difficult to control - an explosion killed Nobel's brother Emil in 1864 - Nobel tried adding different substances to make it safer.

He eventually mixed it with silica, making a paste that could be shaped into rods and inserted into drilling holes. In 1867, he patented this material, calling it dynamite.

His invention was a boon during the era of rapidly growing industries and cities, because dynamite reduced the cost of blasting rock and drilling tunnels. It was a profitable one, too, and Nobel became a very wealthy man. In fact, Nobel held the patent for some 600 inventions, including dynamite.

He died in Italy on December 10, 1896. In his will, he directed that his estate -- about $4 million, the equivalent to about $173 million today -- be used for prizes in chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature and peacekeeping.

With the exception of the Peace Prize, all Nobel Prizes are awarded at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden.

Nobel specified that prizes in science and literature were to be awarded by a Swedish committee, while the peace prize was to be given out by a Norwegian

panel. So it has been more than a century since Nobel issued his orders.

Each year, thousands of international experts and research institutes are invited to nominate candidates, and previous Nobel Prize winners also may submit nominations. The nominations are carefully investigated. Then, the committees present a selection of possible candidates to the prize-awarding institutions, and a vote is taken. The year's laureates are announced immediately after the vote, which is held in October.

The Nobel Prizes have tremendous prestige and offer significant financial rewards. The annual Nobel Prize ceremonies last for a week in December in Stockholm and Oslo, culminating on December 10 - the anniversary of Nobel's death.

(Adapted form http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/nobel.100/overview.html)

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