Fritz Haber is the scientist who arguably most transformed the world. Part of this video is sponsored by Wren. Offset your carbon footprint on Wren: ?https://www.wren.co/start/veritasium1. For the first 100 people who sign up, I will personally pay for the first month of your subscription!
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A huge thanks to Dan Charles for writing a fantastic biography of Fritz Haber, for taking the time to talk to us about it, and providing valuable feedback. This video would not be what it is without his contributions. http://site.danielcharles.us https://ve42.co/Charles
Huge thanks to Tom de Prinse from Explosions and Fire for helping us with the chemistry of explosives. If you like explosions and/or fire, you will love his channel. https://www.youtube.com/c/ExplosionsFire2
Special thanks to Sonya Pemberton, Karl Kruszelnicki, Mary Dobbie, Olivia McRae, and the patreon supporters for giving us feedback on the earlier version of this video.
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References:
The primary reference used is Vaclav Smil's excellent book, Enriching The Earth –
Smil, V. (2004). Enriching the earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the transformation of world food production. MIT press. – https://ve42.co/Smil
Mastermind: The Rise and Fall of Fritz Haber, the Nobel Laureate Who Launched the Age of Chemical Warfare, by Dan Charles – https://ve42.co/Charles
Stoltzenberg, D. (2004). Fritz Haber: Chemist, Nobel Laureate, German, Jew. Chemical Heritage Foundation. – https://ve42.co/Stoltzenberg
Postgate, J. R. (1982). The fundamentals of nitrogen fixation. CUP Archive. – https://ve42.co/postgate
Miles, A. G. (1992). Biological nitrogen fixation. – https://ve42.co/Miles
Friedrich, B., & Hoffmann, D. (2017). Clara Immerwahr: A life in the shadow of Fritz Haber. In One Hundred Years of Chemical Warfare: Research, Deployment, Consequences(pp. 45-67). Springer, Cham. – https://ve42.co/Friedrich2017
Da Silva, G. (2020). What is ammonium nitrate, the chemical that exploded in Beirut. Sci Am, 5. – https://ve42.co/Silva
Rodrigues, P., & Micael, J. (2021). The importance of guano birds to the Inca Empire and the first conservation measures implemented by humans. – https://ve42.co/rodrigues
Allison, F. E. (1957). Nitrogen and soil fertility. Soil, the, 85-94. – https://ve42.co/Allison
Crookes, W. (1898). Address of the President before the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Bristol, 1898. Science, 8(200), 561-575. – https://ve42.co/Crookes
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Special thanks to Patreon supporters: RayJ Johnson, Brian Busbee, Jerome Barakos M.D., Amadeo Bee, Julian Lee, Inconcision, TTST, Balkrishna Heroor, Chris LaClair, Avi Yashchin, John H. Austin, Jr., OnlineBookClub.org, Matthew Gonzalez, Eric Sexton, john kiehl, Diffbot, Gnare, Dave Kircher, Burt Humburg, Blake Byers, Dumky, Evgeny Skvortsov, Meekay, Bill Linder, Paul Peijzel, Josh Hibschman, Timothy O'Brien, Mac Malkawi, Michael Schneider, jim buckmaster, Juan Benet, Ruslan Khroma, Robert Blum, Richard Sundvall, Lee Redden, Vincent, Stephen Wilcox, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Michael Krugman, Cy 'kkm' K'Nelson, Sam Lutfi, Ron Neal
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Written by Petr Lebedev, Derek Muller, Felicity Nelson and Kovi Rose
Edited by Trenton Oliver
Animation by Jakub Mistek, Fabio Albertelli, Ivy Tello, Alex Drakoulis, Nils Ramses Kullack, and Charlie Davies
SFX by Shaun Clifford
Filmed by Petr Lebedev and Derek Muller
Photo of nitrogen deficiency in rice from https://ve42.co/rice
Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images
Music from Epidemic Sound: https://ve42.co/music
Let's use chemistry for good! If you want to offset your carbon emissions I will personally cover the first month of your subscription at https://ve42.co/Wren (for the first 100 people to sign up)
@The_Weird_Cat Says:
Not to mention Carl Bosch also co-found the Bosch-Meiser process that mass-produced urea, an important ingredient in nitrogen fertilizer
@BroicBro Says:
6:24
Quran Surah Ar-Rūm (30 : 24)
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ يُرِيكُمُ الْبَرْقَ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَيُحْيِي بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا
“And among His signs is that He shows you lightning, inspiring fear and hope, and sends down rain from the sky, thereby giving life to the earth after its death.”
@Maserick21 Says:
What about the allies gas attacks and their scientists....no one hated them?
@Techsupport243 Says:
Are weapons that help defend your nation not a benefit? The rights of every person in the modern world depend on the good and moral people having the force to destroy the evil people that would take them away. Your rights come from the barrel of a gun, so maybe don't demonizes scientists who help come up with weapons, or work on military projects.
@niklasnertinger411 Says:
The guy drove his wife into suicide
@straw_and_ducky Says:
Watching this in 2026 cuz seeing how veritasium was before it was bought
@anjandas1972 Says:
Elements of people killed went to soil, which inturn absorbed by food plants. So, i think he has helped the world.
@umbrellajack Says:
"nitrogen fix" lmao 😢
@abdulnasser6252 Says:
Isn’t Chlorine gas also the father of chemotherapy?
@HyungnamGu Says:
Haber was seldom at home and made his disdain for her scientific endeavors quite clear. He went on frequent trips with his colleagues and even had affairs with other women.
@HyungnamGu Says:
Key Findings on Ammonia and Global Food Security:
48% Dependence: Estimates indicate that 48% of global food production relies on nitrogen fertilizers produced using synthetic ammonia.
Demographic Shift: Prior to Haber-Bosch (pre-1910), the Earth could only naturally support about 4 billion people; the surge in global population to over 8 billion directly correlates with the widespread adoption of synthetic fertilizer.
Nitrogen in Human Body: Studies have estimated that nearly half of the nitrogen found in human proteins is derived from synthetic fertilizers.
Regional Impact: In certain areas, such as China, it is estimated that 40% of the population could not be fed without nitrogen fertilizer.
@JumboGray Says:
Bro is so gay
@misselnora Says:
It's not the scientists that destroy humans, it's the sociopaths in power. Amazing video as usual!
@HyungnamGu Says:
Historians have reached a wide range of estimates on gas casualties, ranging from 500k to 1.3 million casualties directly caused by chemical warfare agents during the course of the war, of which 2-4% died. A minimum of around 1300 civilians were injured due to the use of the weapons, and at least around 4000 were injured during weapon production.
@Jaknoof1234 Says:
The fact this came up right as i needed to know about the haber process is either really lucky or is rather scary
@fredyeh2418 Says:
People who read Dr stone immediately know what's this about as soon as bird poop chimed in
@gilmaark Says:
Great story! Thank you
@99animation64 Says:
now we repeat this by inventing AI
@Lima547 Says:
Excellent!!!
@byoobyoo1280 Says:
Today Chlorine gas kills many in swimming pools around the world. These chemical accidents, while rare compared to drowning, cause serious injuries and fatalities, often from inhaling toxic chlorine gas because of improper handling of chemicals.
@Nakulbaurai Says:
The irony of USA is they shame the killer of 100k soilders (Active war participants) and praise the killer of 300k civilians (Nothing to do with war) who were killed in hiroshima and Nagasaki by Robert Oppenheimer
@MrStress Says:
he stood up to the nazis, refusing to be part of their terrible work. after death.... they took his products and used them for their terrible work. a sad fate for a man who, while a patriot, refused to collaborate with nazis.
@siphobrisloks8133 Says:
This is a certified diorite moment
@Gdariusss Says:
2:40 this is wrong, it's 4 tons of guano for 1 pound of gold. They are referring an article from national geographic that doesn't fit the actual market price of the time. Imagine an island covered in gold 😅
@writersden1876 Says:
The same logic was used by the US in hiroshima and nagasaki
To end the war quickly we must kill some in the most terrible way possible
@hannymeow2000 Says:
The medicine is a cure.
However, It has positive and negative effects.
@bustardfootman Says:
I thought he’d be a misunderstood science person trying to make the world a better place. But no, he was a loser who killed millions to “make the war go by quicker”
@rohikunokami Says:
He is 100% a hero
@rakibalhazan-2 Says:
It's unbelievable that our body's 50% N² is the reason a single man😮
@ThePatrioticTurtle Says:
A tragic figure in history. RIP to Harber and despite the horrors, thank you for contribution to humanity
@KavitaThange-q1k Says:
JJ science academy
@HyungnamGu Says:
Yes, under the historical Guano Islands Act of 1856, a U.S. citizen could claim an uninhabited, unclaimed island with bird poop (guano) for the United States, as guano was a highly valuable fertilizer, though many claims were later abandoned and international law has since evolved. This law enabled U.S. territorial expansion in the Pacific and Caribbean for guano mining, leading to some islands remaining U.S. territories today, extending its exclusive economic zones, but it's a complex historical act not easily replicated now.
How it Worked (Historically)
Discovery: A U.S. citizen discovers an island with guano deposits.
Unclaimed Status: The island must not be within the lawful jurisdiction of any other government or occupied by citizens of another country.
Claim: The citizen takes possession and occupies it, at which point the President could declare it "appertaining to the United States".
Purpose: The goal was to secure guano for American farmers, as it was a crucial fertilizer.
Key Points
"Appertaining" vs. Territory: These islands were treated as separate from the U.S. mainland, not fully incorporated, but under U.S. law.
Continued Relevance: The Act (codified as 48 U.S.C. ch. 8) is still technically on the books, allowing for new claims, but modern international law (like UNCLOS) and existing claims complicate things.
Legacy: Several Pacific and Caribbean islands were claimed under this act, some still serving strategic purposes for the U.S. today.
So, while the law exists, the reality of international claims, other nations' interests, and the significant demand for guano having waned makes claiming a new island today a very different prospect, says Vox and Wikipedia.
@materialdusty Says:
Ahh tripping 😂 underwater with her safe and sound.
@materialdusty Says:
Lol poop
@materialdusty Says:
Eargasmic rainbow brain.
@rafaa2544 Says:
Answering your question, 20:38, is by following the rules of The Creator of this universe. We are requested by Him - Allah- to learn, increase our knowledge and implement it but always for good of humanity not against!
@alexphoenician7811 Says:
Death by chemicals or bullets and explosives?That’s the question
@suryaputra11 Says:
Saran bang jangan ada gambar makhluk bernyawa
@MrHacked-ww6sp Says:
This was a better watch then most movies i have seen
@fthymos Says:
😮
@JohnStewart223 Says:
Imagine being a jewish scientist and years after your death the Nazi's take your reasearch and experiment on your own people😢
@Thekoolkids4 Says:
13:41
@beaubrinkman Says:
1:32 Oh, so because the law is old its bad? Your right to free speech and free religion is even older. Are those ridiculous now too?
@jennifernichols-barrio3472 Says:
The roads to hell are paved with good intentions.
@vikababayan853 Says:
I really liked this video—it grabbed my attention right away! It’s crazy to think how one person’s inventions ended up causing so much damage. I do wish it gave a bit more context about his time, but overall it really makes you think about how even good ideas can have unexpected consequences. He seemed quite narcissistic, so maybe in his mindset, it was okay to use something as harmful as ammonia in World War I. :)))
@3dgar7eandro Says:
There is not the knife 🗡️🔪 but who is used what is ultimately important 👌
@zapper28 Says:
20:35 It's simple. You build a plane - you fly it first. You invent a medicine - you take it first. You create a new weapon - you test its effectiveness on yourself. Personal responsibility for what you bring into this world. In principle, the justice system works that way. At least it should. But unfortunately, not for everyone. Kill one and you're in prison. Kill a million and you're a national leader. Madness.
@Saqii6 Says:
And they tested on the Jews I’m guessing
@kristiankorkearanta Says:
Its crazy to think, that the worst thing that Haber did, was to accommodate the overpopulation of this planet.
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