The man who poisoned the world..twice | #250
+ guess this Miss Malaysia contestant from 1983⚡
Hello friends
It’s our 250th issue so we’re going to take a moment to pat ourselves on the back.
Last week we highlighted the life of Dr Theodor Morell - a person who had a behind-the-scenes impact on the world. This week we continue the theme by featuring one Thomas Midgley Jr.
While many inventors have changed the world, few have managed to do so in ways so spectacularly catastrophic as this American engineer and chemist who, with a combination of brilliance, hubris, and showmanship, changed the very air we breathe—twice!
This week, we take a look at the man who did everything to destroy the world.
Things we learnt this week 🤓
Midgley’s story begins in the 1920s, an era obsessed with speed and progress. The automobile was considered the king, but it had a rattling problem - engine knock. Midgley, who, after methodically experimenting with hundreds of chemicals, discovered that a dash of tetraethyl lead (TEL) could silence the engine. The solution was elegant, effective, and, as it turned out, deeply poisonous. Womp womp.
Lead being a poisonous substance was well-known and many scientists and doctors had warned about its harmful impact. Even Midgley himself suffered from lead poisoning, taking extended breaks to recover. Yet, undeterred, he became the public face of TEL, famously pouring the chemical over his hands and inhaling its fumes at press conferences, future-channeling Aamir Khan from 3 Idiots and assuring the world that all is well.
With the might of General Motors and Standard Oil behind him, leaded gasoline spread across the globe. The result: millions of tons of lead released into the atmosphere, saturating soil, water, and the very bones of generations - a grim testament to Midgley’s legacy.
But Midgley was not a man to rest on his laurels. Having solved the world’s engine troubles, he turned his attention to refrigeration. The gases then in use were toxic or explosive. Once again, Midgley found a “miracle” solution: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), marketed as Freon. These colorless, odorless gases seemed harmless—until decades later, when scientists realized they were tearing a hole in the ozone layer, exposing the planet to dangerous ultraviolet radiation, and triggering a global environmental crisis.
Midgley’s inventions were celebrated in his lifetime. He was granted over a hundred patents, lauded as a hero, and showered with awards. Yet, as the true cost of his discoveries emerged, his reputation soured.
His end was as tragic as his legacy. Stricken by polio, Midgley devised a system of ropes and pulleys to help him out of bed. In a final, macabre twist, he died entangled in his own invention—an accidental metaphor for a man undone by his own creations.
In the annals of history, few have changed the world so profoundly—and so disastrously.
From IWTK, with love 💌
Guess Miss Malaysia from the 1983 Miss World contest.
Pulp Fiction has a connection to a Kannada cult classic film. Know more here.
Only In India 🇮🇳
Johnny Johnny Yes Papa.. Been to Bangkok? No Papa. Telling lies? No Papa. Open your passport.. Ha Ha Ha.
💟 IWTK
Not for Everyone. But maybe for you and your patrons?
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