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Although Nobel’s main aim was industrial application, the medicinal link remained crucial: nitroglycerin is still used today in medicine to treat heart diseases, a testament to its vascular effects discovered long ago. The very headaches that marked the risks of nitroglycerin simultaneously highlighted its potency as a blood vessel dilator—an early example of how medicines and explosives share chemical origins.
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Interesting Trivia:
The word “dynamite” is derived from the Greek word dynamis, meaning power. Nobel considered calling his invention “Nobel’s Safety Powder” but opted for dynamite instead. Nitroglycerin-induced headaches were among the first clues to its physiological effects. Nobel’s factories were prone to explosions due to nitroglycerin’s instability before his innovation. The molecular basis for nitroglycerin’s medicinal effect via nitric oxide generation was discovered over a century later. Nitroglycerin is still essential in modern medicine for heart patients. Nobel’s dual legacy reminds us how science can both create and destroy.
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it reminds me this invention:
In 1929, Hofmann became an employee of the pharmaceutical and chemical department of Sandoz Laboratories as a coworker of Arthur Stoll, founder and director of the pharmaceutical department. He began studying the medicinal plant Drimia maritima (squill) and the fungus ergot as part of a program to purify and synthesize active constituents for use as pharmaceuticals. His main contribution was to elucidate the chemical structure of the common nucleus of the Scilla glycosides (an active principle of Mediterranean squill). While researching lysergic acid derivatives, Hofmann first synthesized LSD on 16 November 1938. The main intention of the synthesis was to obtain a respiratory and circulatory stimulant (analeptic) with no effects on the uterus in analogy to nikethamide (which is also a diethylamide) by introducing this functional group to lysergic acid. It was set aside for five years, until 16 April 1943, when Hofmann reexamined it and accidentally discovered its powerful effects.He described what he felt as being:
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wait what? TIL Next time I have a headache I will think of blowing out govs :)
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wait what? TIL @DarthCoin visits my ~science territory :)
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when I see some weird/interesting titles, yes. Also science :)
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I miss the days of Stack Exchange when people were putting in real effort to ask and answer questions.
Now, it's just LLMs that blindly regurgitate what they've been trained on (most likely, a lot of Stack Exchange).
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evolution, that we need to learn with...and try to rethink/reshape ourself...
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you always have the pics that hit the eye ;) :P
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