this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2023
1 points (100.0% liked)

Technology

58157 readers
4171 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
L3s@lemmy.world
enu@lemm.ee
fry@fry.gs
L3s@fry.gs
enu@lemmy.world
L4s@fry.gs
L4s@lemmy.world
1
The Race to Destroy Two Nobel Prizes (medium.com)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by CaspianXI@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
0 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

During World War II, Nazi soldiers were searching for Niels Bohr, a Danish scientist who had helped two German physicists escape. The Gestapo believed that the two Nobel Prizes left behind by the physicists would serve as evidence against Bohr, potentially leading to his execution.

To hide the solid gold prizes, chemist George de Hevesy suggested using aqua regia, a solution that could dissolve gold. Hevesy dissolved the gold and placed the solution on a high shelf among other chemicals. When the Nazis ransacked the building, they failed to find any trace of gold, unaware that it had been cleverly concealed in plain sight.

After the war, Hevesy reversed the process, extracted the gold, and returned it to the rightful owners. This remarkable feat not only saved Bohr's life but also demonstrated the power of aqua regia and its ability to fool the Nazis.

no comments (yet)
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
there doesn't seem to be anything here