Ever wondered what cool sciencey stuff they are teaching undergraduates at the University of Queensland?
Every school day I will post my newly learned cool fact... Enjoy
18/03/2013
CHEMISTRY
FRITZ-HABER: DESTROYER AND CREATOR
Perhaps one of the finest examples of how scientific
progress can be used for both good and evil comes from Germany in the early 20th
century.
A man named Fritz Haber was born in the mid-19th century
and he reached his careers peak during a time when Germany and Europe was
gearing for war.
Fritz was an especially talented chemist and created a
process for the synthesis of Ammonia from Nitrogen gas.
As we know form the ‘Deep Diving… How deep can we go?’ (http://forscienceuq.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/deep-diving-how-deep-can-we-go.html) the atmosphere is composed of a lot of nitrogen. And getting this element out of the atmosphere and into a product we can use was a huge advancement.
The process he created allowed the mass production of huge quantities
of fertiliser that fed hundreds of millions of people and still contributes
greatly to the global economy.
However,
Ammonia can also be used to create explosives.
Haber famously said “During
peace time a scientist belongs to the world, but during war time he belongs to
his country."
 | |
| Ammonia can produce huge explosions |
Because of this invention of ammonia synthesis, Baber was
directly responsible for Germany’s ability to wage World War One for as long as
she did, and as such, he is responsible for the deaths of millions.
Not only this, but Baber also was instrumental in the development
of Germany’s chemical warfare division and his team built chlorine gas for deployment
in the brutal trench warfare.
After the war he also designed and built an insecticide called
Zyklon A. This would later be used by the Nazi Party to produce Zyklon B.
Famous as the chemical used in the gas chambers to slaughter millions of
Europeans of all nations.
Ethically Barber defended himself as a man who served his
country and that death in the trenchers was terrible no matter how it was
delivered.
As time progresses, it will be inevitable that the numbers
of individuals that were aided by this man’s brilliance will continue to grow.
Yet he will always remain, as a gaunt and powerful example,
to the inhuman nature of science, and how inventions can be used for both good
and evil.
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