The Proposal- Alfred Nobel
To: Mrs Marquez
From: Joshua
Dear Mrs Marquez,
Right now, you will probably be asking yourself: what makes Nobel notable? He only managed to create dynamite. Oh, and he gave his wealth to create a prize system. I am writing here to rid your mind of all that! While your initial thoughts may be true, Nobel was also a Swedish chemist, engineer and philanthropist who introduced the world to explosives and, interestingly, established the Nobel Prize due to a mistaken obituary. Today, I will delve deeper into what it really means to be 'notable', alongside giving you an insight into this notable figure and prove beyond doubt that he is worthy of study.
First and foremost, Nobel was chosen from all others due to his work with his inventions- 355 in fact. One of those is dynamite, an industry influencer. At a young age his father, an inventor, encouraged him to take an interest in construction development. The young Alfred discovered if nitroglycerin was sealed inside a copper tube with a fuse, the resulting explosion would be equivalent to 1 Megajoule. He refined his design, creating collodion- an infusion of nitrocellulose and ether, which was branded 'Explosive Gelatin'.
Nobel had a larger impact on the world than you may think, making it useful to mine, demolish and construct. While experimenting with the nitroglycerin, he created dynamite (1866), gelignite (1875) and ballistite (1887). All of a sudden, the world was open to new possibilities. Statistics from the U.S. Foreign Trade Division shows that exportation and importation of explosives such as dynamite have grown over the years, with trade value growing by 12.4% as of 2019.
There were some obvious downsides though. It was used in war; one explosion could kill a few hundred people. When Alfred was mistaken to have died, some obituaries heralded him as "The Merchant of Death." His surprise and subsequent horror made him found one of the globe's most greatest awards, which brings me onto my next point.
Additionally, winning an award is great. In fact, it’s excellent. It is one of those only times where you can be commended for your achievements. But as far as these accolades go, they are nothing compared to the imposing Nobel Prize. What is remarkable about this is Nobel commends individuals like him who have contributed to the globe. That is, the people who have excelled or are commendable in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Economic Sciences, Literature and Peace. These categories reflect his interests during his career. Alfred Nobel was a passionate reader, and the peace prize was established to compensate for the fatalities caused by his inventions.
It remains undeniable that his benefactions are, as the slogan of the Nobel Prize Committee goes, "The Greatest Benefit to Humankind." Nobel had created a system that respects people who have contributed greatly to the progress of humanity. No wonder everyone thinks of receiving the prize as an honour!
Yet another of the countless reasons of why Nobel is notable and worthy of study is he had an interesting career and persevered through hard times. Born in Stockholm in 1883, he showed keen interest in engineering. During his difficult life, his father suffered from business failures, and in the Post-Crimean War (1856) they filed for bankruptcy. An accidental explosion of nitroglycerin killed his younger brother Emil, with another brother (Ludvig) dying afterwards.
He didn't intend for his inventions to be used in war. Instead he only thought about its usefulness in the industry. You can imagine how horrified he felt when he realised that his invention had the potential to kill hundreds. Nevertheless, he proved to the world that he could try to recompense for the deaths caused by his inventions. In his will, he allocated his fortune to the Nobel Prizes, in the hope that he would have a better impact and reputation in the world.
When all the above has been taken into consideration, it is indisputable that Alfred Nobel has left a lasting legacy worldwide and always will be notable and worthy of thorough study. Not only has he contributed positively to humanity but he has also persevered through hard times and concocted world-changing explosives. Moreover, his prestigious accolades have continued to acknowledge people who have made a notable impact across the globe.
Now, wouldn’t it be nice if an approval to research were to be granted at this point?
As I conclude, I leave you with an eloquent quote from the man himself:
“One can state, without any exaggeration, that the observation of and the search for similarities and differences are the basis of all human knowledge.”
And that, I believe, is the definition of a notable.