logo
episode-header-image
Aug 14
24m 13s

#563 | The Curious Origins of The Nobel ...

Leonardo English
About this episode

30 for 30 Challenge - Starts 13th October - https://bit.ly/30FOR30Challenge

Registration closes at 23:59 on Sunday, 12th October.

--


Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, was shocked to read his own obituary branding him the "merchant of death."

 

While the story might not be entirely true, it pushed him to reconsider his legacy.

 

His fortune went on to establish the Nobel Prizes, honouring achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace, ensuring his name is remembered for contributions to humanity.

 
  • Overview of the Nobel Prize
  • Alfred Nobel's mistaken obituary
  • Nobel's early life and education
  • Invention of dynamite and its impacts
  • Nobel's relationship with Bertha von Suttner
  • Creation of the Nobel Prize in his will
  • Outcomes and controversies of the Nobel Prize
  • Notable Nobel laureates
  • Controversial Nobel Peace Prize awards
  • Legacy of Alfred Nobel

Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/nobel-prize

---

You might like:

🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists

5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube]

📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership

📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter

---

Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

Up next
Oct 2
[Bonus] Stoicism, Existentialism, and More: Philosophy for English Learners!
✨ 30 for 30 Challenge - Starts 13th October - https://bit.ly/30FOR30ChallengeRegistration closes at 23:59 on Sunday, 12th October.--Today it's a bonus episode from Thinking in English, with Tom Wilkinson.You can find out more about Thinking in English at https://linktr.ee/thinkin ... Show More
20m 37s
Sep 25
#570 | DOGE | Elon Musk's Quest to Shrink the US Government
✨ 30 for 30 Challenge - Starts 13th October - https://bit.ly/30FOR30ChallengeRegistration closes at 23:59 on Sunday, 12th October.--The Department of Governmental Efficiency, otherwise known as DOGE, was a radical plan to cut government waste and reduce spending. Where did the id ... Show More
29m 34s
Sep 18
[From The Vault 🔐] Teflon’s Toxic Secret | The Hidden Cost of a Non-Stick Pan
From The Vault 🔐 — normally a member-only episode, unlocked this month for everyone.--It's a gripping battle of David vs. Goliath: a cattle farmer and a lawyer against DuPont, a massive chemical company. Discover how Rob Bilott uncovered a shocking environmental scandal, battled ... Show More
24m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2016
Twenty-five Years in the Search for Peace: Reflections on the Nobel Peace Prize
Geir Lundestad, a Norwegian historian, who until 2014 served as the director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, delivered the 2016 Cyril Foster Lecture, 'Twenty-five Years in the Search for Peace: Reflections on the Nobel Peace Prize', on 3rd March 2016. The Cyril Foster Lecture i ... Show More
52m 25s
Oct 1
A Time for Celebration: Adam Smith reveals what really gets our laureates celebrating
In this special bonus episode of Nobel Prize Conversations, we shine a light on the many ways achievements in science are celebrated — from quiet late-night breakthroughs in the lab to the glittering applause of the Nobel Prize award ceremony. Host Karin Svensson speaks with Adam ... Show More
47m 39s
Apr 2025
The Greatest Nobel Prize Snubs
As of the recording of this episode, 1,012 people have been awarded Nobel Prizes across every category.  This episode is not about any of them. This episode is about the people who didn’t win a Nobel Prize but arguably should have.  Whether they were the victims of personal petty ... Show More
16m 10s
May 2024
Ferenc Krausz: Nobel Prize Conversations
Meet 2023 physics laureate Ferenc Krausz in conversation with podcast host Adam Smith, as they discuss a scientific journey which has spanned three countries – and to which Krausz attributes his Nobel Prize.”These particles were discovered more than a hundred years before. It too ... Show More
45m 1s
Oct 2024
Pourquoi n'y a-t-il pas de prix Nobel de mathématiques ?
L'automne est la saison des récompenses, au cours de laquelle sont notamment décernés le prix Goncourt et les différents prix Nobel. Concernant ces derniers, il existe d'ailleurs une curieuse lacune. En effet, Alfred Nobel, qui a donné son nom à ce prestigieux palmarès, a prévu u ... Show More
2m 14s
May 2019
Alfred Bernhard Nobel
The prize most coveted by the best and brightest minds in society owes its name to one man: Alfred Nobel. This Swedish inventor born in 1833, has a complicated history after battling through childhood poverty in which only three of his seven siblings reached adulthood. Parcasters ... Show More
44m 48s
May 2025
Geoffrey Hinton: Nobel Prize Conversations
"When we remember, what we're doing is just making up a story that sounds plausible to us. That's what memories are." Join your host Adam Smith as he speaks to physicist Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI. They discuss Hinton's childhood memories and how his family ... Show More
39 m
Aug 2024
#359 The Russian Rockefellers: The Nobel Family Dynasty
The name of Nobel usually calls to mind Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite, and the internationally prestigious prizes that bear his name. But Alfred was only one member of a creative and innovative family who built an industrial empire in prerevolutionary Russia. The saga begins ... Show More
1h 6m
Jul 2
Simon Johnson: Nobel Prize Conversations
"With the great power to invent technology comes a great responsibility." – In this lively and energetic podcast conversation, economic sciences laureate Simon Johnson talks about how the past, future and present are interconnected, as well as how science fiction and history are ... Show More
36m 8s