If you don't know of Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleyev (1834-1907) it may be great to meet him through his words right here.
"This study is dedicated to the memory of my mother by the youngest of her children. She was able to rear him only at the cost of her own labour in charge of a works; she educated him by her own example, she corrected his errors by her love, and, in order to wed him to science, she brought him from Siberia, expending all that remained of her means and her physical strength. Her last testament to him was to bid him avoid illusions, to persist in work and not in words alone and patiently to seek the divine or scientific truth; for she understood ... how much more there remains to be discovered and how with the help of science, with love, not with violence, but with firmness we shall eliminate prejudice and error and achieve the protection of the truths that have been won, freedom for further growth, general welfare and personal satisfaction. This maternal behest is considered as sacred by D. Mendeleyev."
This was published in 1887 as a dedication to his book Study of Aqueous Solutions by Means of Specific Gravity.
Most likely you have heard of The Periodic Table of Elements. This is a product of Mendeleyev's work, and not words alone.
It was said of Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976) just at the turn of this 21st century that in the 20th century he was the undisputed leader in the new field of Quantum Physics.
In a lecture given in the United States in 1973 he said,
..."It has always belonged to the tradition in science, guiding the activity of many generations, that science should be applied to practical purposes and that practical application should be a check on the validity of the results and justification for the efforts in science. Hence the atomic physicist of the first half of our present century were merely following this old tradition of science when they looked for practical applications of atomic physics. It was of course extremely disappointing for them that the first practical application was for warfare."
In the same 1973 lecutre Heisenberg went on to say.
"I remember a conversation with Enrico Fermi after the war, a short time before the first hydrogen bomb was to be tested in the Pacific. We discussed this plan andi I suggested that one should perhaps abstain from such a test, considering the biological and political consequences. Fermi replied, "But it is such a beautiful experiment." This is probably the strongest motive behind the applications of science; the scientist needs confirmation from an impartial judge, from nature herself, that he has understood her structure. And he wants to see the effect of his effort."
It was in the 19th century Mendeleyev had achieved a great many accomplishments and in the year after Heisenberg was born he was working on hydrogen.
In 1902, in an attempt at a chemical conception of the Aether, he put forward a hypothesis that there existed two inert chemical elements of lesser atomic weight than hydrogen. Of these two proposed elements, he thought the lighter to be an all-penetrating, all-pervasive gas, and the slightly heavier one to be a proposed element, coronium. -World Book Encyclopedia Online 2025
It is highly unlikely he ever imagined an experiment to come, one made possible because of his own contributions and lifetime of work.
BUT one thing inevitably leads to another.
It was in the year 1952, November 1st, that the first hydrogen bomb would be tested.
Chemistry leads to physics. The molecule leads to the atom, the atom to particles and ... into the subatomic quantum fields, which leads behind the scenes.. the invisible ...
In the year 1945 two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In the year 1970, 25 years after the events, the encyclopedia of the day said this;
"Because of its military importance, little information has been published on the construction of the atomic bomb."
But it did relay a bit of detail over six or seven paragraphs. And then went on to share this information.
" The fusion, or thermonuclear, bomb was first tested in November, 1952. Because the explosion is created by the fusion reaction of hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium the weapon is called the hydrogen bomb. " -Yourng People's Science Encyclopedia
Of course Mendeleyev did not conceive of a hydrogen bomb. But he did understand and do the laborious work to establish that elements each had a significance that had to be understood uniformly by scientists, and placed in a format that could be sourced uniformly for scientists, students, everyone. This format became The Periodic Table of Elements. This process led to the understanding of hydrogen. The hydrogen atom was fundamental in understanding chemistry and physics, and remains so today. Because the element was studied and found to have the simplist atomic structure it has become the key in developing atomic models and a fourndation point of quantum theory.
Mendeleyev had a core mission and that was service to humanity and to progress his home land of Russia in fields that would help the people.
But we live in a world of duality. One may see Beauty and Bounty and others see a Bomb. Things will bomb.
Humans have the choice however, of what to see. If we see streaming of violence and bombs, things will bomb. If we spend hours gaining intelligence instead of losing it. maybe less things will bomb. I'd rather work for Beauty and Bounty and intelligence in any case. And I would like the life work of Mendeleyev to be remembered and referenced more than a hollywood movie.
Awareness can make a world of difference.
MENDELEYEV HEISENBERG CHEMISTRY BEHIND THE SCENES
