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 ve42.co/Wren (for the first 100 people to sign up)

The fact that this was age restricted and demonetized is insane!

As Isaac Asimov once said, “The saddest aspect of society right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom."

KZfaq when a channel talks about suicide in an informative way: Now this is an avengers level threat KZfaq when an ad is straight up softcore pornography: No problem

For those interested: the redacted part is about habers wife and her suicide at 15:57 - 17:26.

Who knew a paragraph in our chemistry textbooks mentioning Haber’s process had left out so much rich history, euphoria and sadness. Thank you veritasium for telling us such amazing stories.

I learned about this guy during an ethics in science class I had to take in college. One man encapsulating our highest highs and lowest lows as a species.

I cant believe youtube AGE RESTRICTED this masterpiece!

Ah yes, Fritz Haber, "The Angel of Life and Death". No man better exemplifies the fact that all knowledge is a tool, one that can be used for immense good and staggering evil equally.

Derek you should also do one for Max planck. His life is also very tragic but very few knows about it.

No one fits the saying, "you either die the hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.", better than this man, Fritz Haber.

Is he a villain, no Is he a Hero, no He is history edit: thanks for all the likes!!

Who's here after the censored version of this video?

It feels like so many discoveries simultaneously make the world better and scarier

When i studied chemistry, we were taught this story. The professor went into explicit detail of the horrors of chemistry. He did this to explain that our knowledge is what we do with it. And hopes we use it for good.

This story resonates so hard with the story of Oppenheimer these days. Whatever can be used for good can be used for evil. Oppenheimer started with developing a weapon, while Haber started with the fertilizer.

Music videos that show fully nude bodies: ✅ Entirely educational video that "contains topics of self harm": ❌

"He is probably one of the most impactful and tragic scientists of all time." Those two often go hand in hand, curiously.

The truly poetic irony in this story for me is the fact that Haber, who created the deadly yet indispensable nitrogen compounds, was awarded the Nobel Prize, created by Alfred Nobel to try and do good after inventing dynamite, which killed his own brother. Edit: People have pointed out that the invention of dynamite was after his brother died, so I stand corrected there, but I feel like my original point still stands since dynamite was also a compound that came with great progress and simultaneous evil

Fritz had a half-sister named Frieda! I’m sure there’s some indirect representation or influence of him in Attack on Titan. As attack on Titan is a piece of literature that has heavy parallels to both World Wars; I think it ties in with how the Fritz's power of the titans is said to have both brought destruction and despair and bridges, roads, crops and wealth to humanity.

Stupid KZfaq that demonetize this video! Shame!

This video is incredibly well made. I found myself fully immersed into Haber’s story and I didn’t even notice 20 minutes had gone by.

They say knowledge is a curse. I learned so many things from this, and it left me in indescribable mixtures of joy and sadness. Thanks, Veritasium, unironically, for shaking up my perception on life in this world, once again. I write this, by the way, as your final segment of your video, touches on this exact theme. ...You're a cool guy; I like you. At least, it's nice to know I'm not alone.

For those searching, the part censored in the other version seems to be around 16:00

I've done part of my PhD in the Fritz-Haber-Institut. It's weird to imagine that the experimental hall where I've spent so many nights doing a bit of science was once crowded with people focused on how to kill more efficiently....

Crazy how this 1 dude was so incredibly important for the entire world In both good and bad ways

it ends with some of the most beautiful words about science I have ever heard. That's why apprecieate and truly respect what Derek does. Thank you for all those years

Love that KZfaq has age restricted this video for a passing comment about how he died. Ridiculous.

It always amazes me how Veritasium can tell you about fascinating topics that you didn't even know existed. After every video I feel like I can understand the world at least a tiny bit more.

“During peace time a scientist belongs to the World, but during war time he belongs to his country.” - Fritz Haber

Can't believe this got age restricted! Average KZfaq moment.

This is why I love history. I CONSTANTLY state that my beliefs about history and that I believe that censoring and/or even refusing to teach students about history like the Holocaust. As somebody whose fascination of history revolves 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗬 on war era history (most especially WWI & WWII), I completely understand that history is nowhere CLOSE to being pretty and can even make some of the emotionally strongest people cry at the depravity humanity is capable of, but when we censor and even refuse to acknowledge those awful events in history, we’ll only end up repeating it later on in the future.

“He was so caught up with the fact that he could, he never stopped to think whether he should” - Dr Ian Malcolm

14:50 Ironically, Otto Hahn discovered nuclear fission, which eventually made it possible to develop nuclear weapons. In fact, he was also involved in the German nuclear weapons program. It seems he took Fritz's words about "innumerable lives" to heart.

You aren't allowed to mention suicide. We don't talk about it. We can talk about war crimes but not suicide. Thanks KZfaq

Another worthwhile little note, it's quite possible that it was his research that killed him. In the process of making nitrates from ammonium, nitrogen dioxide is formed. One long term effect from exposure to nitrogen dioxide is cardiac arrest. It can happen years or decades after exposure, and I imagine he was exposed to quite a bit developing his process.

Honestly let's give a big props to the editing and animation on these recent videos. Feels like I'm watching a TedEd video, with Derek's narration. It's only getting better!!!

Chemical weapons, war, holocaust YT: I sleep Suicide YT: NO! BAD DEREK!

I am a huge fan of the channel but we can't just "regard him as irrelevant...because someone else would have figured out a way to process Nitrogen out of the air". Someone else would have figured out the Earth goes around the sun (Copernicus). Someone else could have found Laws of Motion (Newton) and someone else would have figured out how electricity and magnetism works (Maxwell) and so on and so on. These people give their whole lives up for science and it would be disrespectful of us to simply regard them as irrelevant.

This is a perfect illustration from human history showing how "gray", or nuanced, the world really is. Great video and message, thank you.

Wow! This should be shown in every school. The combination of so many subjects explained in a relatable and understandable way is extremely eyeopening. Imagine a day where you watch this video and discuss it in different classes: chemistry, history, biology, ethics, physics. You could even relate it to art with painters like Otto Dix. I think that's what's missing a lot at ordinary schools: A tangible well connected story, making one understand why this knowledge is important and useful. Great work, Veritasium-Team!

As soon as I read the title of this video my mind immediately went to Sabaton's latest single called "Father", which tells the story of Fritz Haber...an amazing track about a very interesting yet conflicting historical figure.

There is no reason to demonize this video.

"So why did people want poop-covered islands so badly?" Derek finally asking the right questions

In the high school year many of us were taught this Haber- Bosch process. But to know the historical tale of it is very satisfying and chilling at the same time. Thanks veritasium for enlightening us.💕

I just started watching the episode and love the introduction; it feels terrific. This is peak Veritasium. All your content is beautiful. Thank you for keep this growing. 😊

i usually don't like these kinds of videos, but something about it pulled me in. I loved every second of it, thank you so much for making it

I recently learned about his existence in chemistry lessons, it's incredible how one can kill so many, save so many, make everyone angry about him and then get a nobel prize for it.

20:00 "Science and technology have improved our lives immeasurably, but they have also given us ever increasing ways to destroy ourselves." Such a touching line right there.

Who's here after he re-uploaded this video

Really KZfaq? That is ridiculous to restrict this. 👎

I didn't realize at first that Fritz Haber is the same Haber who created the 'Haber's process', the same reaction that i had learnt just last year in class, and which i was coincidentally literally just studying, for my exam next week. I never knew there was such an interesting and deep backstory to the Haber's process and Fritz Haber himself and his enormous impact on the world, especially to someone who is interested in history and science like me. It makes me look at all those reactions i had to memorize all these years in a whole new light, that all those reactions i have been having to memorize for the past 2 years probably had fascinating backstories to them as well, and probably changed the world in many ways. How many of those names had similarly fascinating and tragic stories to them. I wish they taught us in class with half the enthusiasm derek does. A shame that in the education system in my country, Chemistry has been reduced down to a mindless list of formulas and reactions in our chemistry textbook and curriculum. Something to be feared and dreaded in the exam. Something that is a struggle and burden more than anything. Reduced to nothing more than An abstract metric, a number on a sheet of paper, a scorecard, or a percentile benchmark. Shame i never got to learn the true meaning and depth of the subjects i was learning. i do wish they taught with the same depth and understanding that derek imparts to us.

I like it very much when content creators place their sponsors at the end as it only tell how good the video is going to be. Keep up the good work sir!

Watching Veritasium’s videos throughout a month or so. I completely fell in love with them. Every video tells people about another interesting and important thing in a field of science, which is great. But every time a video isn’t just about a scientific topic itself, it also conveys its own gist related to crucial events happening in the world. Every time after you watch another video of Veritasium’s you really need to seat back and think hard about what is happening around you and whether it’s acceptable in terms of adequacy and safety or not. This is what makes Derek’s videos that awesome ❤

youtube is absolutely wild for restricting this

Ah yes, "The Alchemy of Air" probably my favorite book for the past few years. Tragic story, Fritz son Herman also committed suicide after the war and the passing of Hermann's wife, then 3 years later Hermann's oldest daughter also committed suicide.

Being a Biology/History double major, I got to learn about Fritz Haber on both fronts: Fritz Haber the creator of the Haber-Bosch process (chemistry and biology), and Fritz Haber the creator of chemical weaponry (WWI and WWII history). In biology he's a hero, in history he's a monster. I got a very interesting perspective having him spoken of in two completely different ways depending on the subject he was being taught in.

This is how content should be. Informative, engaging and entertaining at the same time.

This might be the best youtube videos ever exist. For me who knows absolutely nothing about it, this video is mind blowing. And the way they deliver the information is very easy to understand. Good job Veritasium 👍

That’s a terrifying power of an innovator, His discovery can help billions *but he can also use it to kill billions.*

Equally important was Carl Bosch, who took Haber's tabletop setup and scaled it up to factory size, which, among other things, required finding a catalyst other than osmium. He also won a Nobel prize for this, and the process is most referred to by both their names: the Haber-Bosch process. Bosch went on to be one of the founders, and first head of, the chemical mega-conglomerate IG Farben. IG Farben would become notorious for its practices during World War 2. It was the company that made Zyklon B. Half of its workforce was slave labour and it had a factory that was effectively a concentration/death camp: Auschwitz III AKA Auschwitz Monowitz. IG Farben was also involved in the medical experimentation conducted at a number of concentration camps.

I can't believe that this educational video is age-restricted. KZfaq moderation should be ashamed of themselves.

Here after watching the cLeAn version to see what bs excuse KZfaq came up with to demonetize this masterpiece.

Fascinating. Together with the previous one (about the guy who killed the most people in history) it is a great series about how things are not so clear in science and its everyday application. Thanks for shedding light on these!

As a synthetic chemist, I've used chlorine a few times in the lab. I've briefly inhaled low concentrations of Cl2 when it off-gassed from reaction mixtures and it's really unpleasant, I can't imagine how bad a death by chlorine gas in the trenches was.

This is one of the greatest videos from this outstanding channel. Keep up the excellent work.

Went straight from the reupload to this one. Stop the censorship

As a chemist who is working on electrochemical water splitting, I Just got goosebumps throughout the video. Maybe because in my childhood Haber's process was my favourite, simple yet extraordinary. Thank you for making this video. It felt delightful.

Never heard of this story but it explains how knowledge is a two edged sword!

Sooooo, because the historical FACT that his wife commited suicide make it... what? unsuitable to be told? invalidate the research and does not deserve remuneration? Makes light of women everywhere? Offensive to children that want to learn? incite people in a bad relation to suicide? I get the prohibition on suicide talk to prevent people making light of it, but THAT is not not the case here.

this is the most touching, interesting, and all around most well done video you’ve ever made.

"Trust me, this incredibly deadly invention is humane, it will end wars quicker" has always resulted in catastrophic ways

As someone who has inhaled chlorine gas, I have mixed feelings here. It's incredibly painful. Even the relatively small amount I breathed in, sent me to the emergency room. DYING that way sounds like my worst nightmare. He really was human though. He did both tremendous good and caused tremendous pain. Honestly, if he were on the winning side of the war, I have little doubt that he would have been remembered by history as a great hero. But his country lost.

This is one of the best videos ever uploaded to KZfaq. Thank you Veritasium❤❤

Just want to say THANK YOU for all thee great info you have in your videos absolutely love how you explain everything in detail!! Crazy Ive had several questions in a few videos and you actually answered them in the video it was great!! So please keep up the great work it is greatly appreciated and very fascinating have a great one thanks again for doing what you do!!!

I am more impressed by Fritz's persistence and perseverance. The guy was obviously man of will and focused on his projects

This was one of the best Veritasium episodes I have ever seen. The science, story, and message kept me locked in the whole way through and I didn’t want it to end.

I really like your magnetic plastic molecule models. That helps a lot. Keep doing that. Even for mostly physics issues, the simple chemistry illustrations are super useful.

I bet we're coming back to this video because of the new 'cleaned' version...

I appreciate the seriousness of this video. Not making light of these issues, especially the enormous loss of life. Very respectable way to cover grim topics.

"We're all the heroes of our own story." No sane man imagines himself a villain, though countless others may label him as such.

Ending remarks were amazing. Thank you for making this video!

This is one of your best videos ever! Absolutely brilliant! Keep up The Great Work!

Don't forget, it is not the "Haber process" - it is the "Haber-Bosch process". Carl Bosch was as instrumental as Fritz Haber because Bosch was the guy coming up with the engineering, machinery and installations to make the process work on an industrial scale. Bosch is another remarkable figure of chemistry; Bosch was CEO of BASF introducing many other high pressure processes, such as urea synthesis or isobutyl oil synthesis. He was awarded the Nobel prize just like Fritz Haber, but later. and for having worked on so many different high pressure processes, not just the Haber-Bosch method. Bosch founded the infamous I.G. Farben. Also, Haber's wife Clara Immerwahr was not only a PhD in chemistry, but suffered from not being able to do much scientific work because of the dominating personality of her husband as well as the social restrictions and pressures of being a mother and a housewife. She was also a pacificist. Even though the main reason for killing herself are today attributed to 1.) a depression from her dissatisfaction with her life in general and 2.) having caught her husband with another woman, she was extremely irritated and against her husband being involved with the military, ending up as "the father of the gas war", and supporting the military-industrial complex in other functions.

Everytime I watch something heavy about chemistry or physics, I can't wrap my head around how everything in this universe works. Just amazing. A dissection of a molecule brings life, and when it comes back together, can be so explosive that it can harm life.

Oh no I heard about mental heath issues KZfaq save me

This is the wildest story I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe this isn’t taught to everybody

Just a small note : the pesticide that was invented at the Haber institute was Zyklon A, with the smelling compound Nazis then increased its severity (pushing it from A to B on the pesticide severity scale) and removed that smelling compound to create what was used in the gas chambers. Great video and amazing work nonetheless !

When you said he tried to get gold out of seawater my knee jerk reaction was superstition/ stupidity to think that was possible. Before his other inventions they were probably considered equally impossible by the people of his day. Thank you. This was truly informative.

Who came here after the reuploud

whos here after the clean version?

It's crazy how desperately we want to categorize people as either heroes/idols or villains/monsters. Especially when it does nothing useful, and especially when they have been dead for a long time, instead of focus on what they accomplished separately. Edit: accomplishments as in both positive and negative.

Great video, hadn't realised the whole tragedy behind Fritz Haber. However I was surprised and disappointed to see no mention of Carl Bosch. Everyone forgets the Chemical Engineer! Without Bosch the process would have stayed benchtop scale, as he was key to developing the requirements for upscaling to industrial quantities, including better catalysts than osmium (iron based) that help make it more profitable and practical for scale up, and the general process equipment for coping with the high temperatures and pressures.

I love this video very informative, summary ans easy to follow. Well done work. Is one of my favorite video to teach. I can gleaned so much from it!

Thank you for the great compilation!

Fritz Haber, the discoverer of the 'Haber Process', is the prime example of what science is, not what it should or shouldn’t be. The monologue in the end poses the fundamental approch of Human nature to any tool we use in our day-to-day lives, including science. This episode has to be one of magnum opuses of this channel.

Great video! However, we cannot speak of Haber's contributions to nitrogen chemistry without mentioning Carl Bosch! The process is actually called the Haber-Bosch process to recognize Bosch's contributions. Carl Bosch led the team of engineers and chemists at BASF that made the trickle flow of Haber's table top prototype ammonia oven become the factory sized ammonia river that has fed the world's fertilizer and weapons needs ever since. This was no easy feat- without the successful scaling up of the process, it would never have been possible to commercialize and thus economically unviable to operate. You can make a small pressure oven relatively easily, but to make one the size of a house? Its like making a 1920's airplane versus a modern fighter jet... Or maybe a sailboat versus an aircraft carrier. Same working principle, huge difference. It took tremendous amounts of pioneering engineering- the science of how to make chemical reactions possible on a large scale under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure- which laid the foundations of the field we today call chemical engineering. Bosch eventually became the director of BASF and then (when BASF merged with other firms) the conglomerate IG Farben, after which he was retired from his position, due to poor health and resistance to Hitler's policies. He shared the Nobel prize in chemistry (with Friedrich Bergius) in 1931 for his contributions to high pressure chemistry.

Thanks for the great work!

Wonderful video. Thanks a lot, Derek!

What. A. Story. I'm so intrigued by these recent scientist life stories, accompanied by your big, philosophical questions, your videos are of such high quality, please make more of this!