Fritz Haber: How an evil scientist saved the world - Real Chemistry

Fritz Haber is probably the most important scientist you've never heard of. In the early 1900s he helped to develop to Bosch-Haber process which allowed for the production large amounts of fertilizer. This fertilizer is critical for modern farming, without it the earth may only be able to support roughly 4 billion people. At the same time, this process allowed the Germans to produce gun powder and explosives during World War 1. Additional Fritz Haber played a role in developing predecessors of the chemical weapons eventually used in World War 2 by the Nazis. He even developed something called "Haber's Rule" which allowed poisonous gasses to kill people more efficiently. Fritz Haber's mixed legacy points to the power of science and the need to carefully consider the moral implications of our scientific research.

In this video we discuss his major scientific contributions and, on the way, explore the interesting chemistry of nitrogen. Nitrogen makes up most of the atmosphere, is critical for life, and can be used in explosives. How can one element has so many different properties?

Видео Fritz Haber: How an evil scientist saved the world - Real Chemistry канала Real Chemistry