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> However, within the first two months of its operation, the new plant was plagued by more cases of lead poisoning, hallucinations, insanity, and five deaths.
by bmitc 5y ago
> However, within the first two months of its operation, the new plant was plagued by more cases of lead poisoning, hallucinations, insanity, and five deaths.
> On October 30, 1924, Midgley participated in a press conference to demonstrate the apparent safety of TEL, in which he poured TEL over his hands, placed a bottle of the chemical under his nose, and inhaled its vapor for 60 seconds, declaring that he could do this every day without succumbing to any problems. ... Midgley would later have to take leave of absence from work after being diagnosed with lead poisoning.
Guy sounds like a nut.
> Environmental historian J. R. McNeill opined that Midgley "had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth's history", and Bill Bryson remarked that Midgley possessed "an instinct for the regrettable that was almost uncanny".
Later down in the legacy section, these are some serious burns, almost laughable if it weren't for them being true and the consequences of that.
But I must say, although it's fun to pin it on one man, many people and corporations were involved in the propagation of his catastrophes.
- formerly_proven 5y agoafter being diagnosed with lead poisoning ... again. > In 1923, Midgley took a long vacation in Miami, Florida, to cure himself of lead poisoning.
- BurningFrog 5y agoI think that proves he really believed what he was saying!
- DangitBobby 5y agoOr that he was willing to risk his health for wealth at everyone's expense.
- baobabKoodaa 5y agoNah. It's much more plausible that he sincerely believed lead wasn't that dangerous.
- SilverRed 5y agoI think its somewhat reasonable that he knew it had short term issues at high concentration but believed that the body would flush it out on its own. And not that any exposure caused permanent damage.
- baobabKoodaa 5y agoSure, he was willing to take some level of risk, but he certainly wasn't expecting to be hospitalized for lead poisoning.
- dennis_jeeves 5y agoPossible. But there really is a category of go-getters who are quite delusional. I would bet on the latter. Convictions, even if delusional go a long way in convincing the audience.
- ijidak 5y ago> Environmental historian J. R. McNeill opined that Midgley "had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth's history" I can't stop laughing when I read this. But it is shocking that one human can have such an impact on Earth. It's actually kind of scary. What's to stop the next nut, perhaps in a country outside the reach of international law, from causing the same?
- lovecg 5y agoIt can work both ways though. A single person can also invent a scalable way to sequester CO2 for example.
- asdff 5y agoIt's a lot easier to burn things than to figure out how to unburn them though
- dennis_jeeves 5y agoCorrect, for most naive tech personality types, they think there is easy tech solution to everything if only one thought hard enough. Precaution is not too high on their list.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]