Svante Arrhenius

Svante Arrhenius, one of the world's greatest scientists, taught himself to read at the age of three. This was the start of a life that never ceased to wonder about the world. Arrhenius was a Swedish physicist and physical chemist best known for his theory of electrolytic dissociation, a theory which earned him the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1903-one of his many accomplishments. Arrhenius was born on February 19, 1859 in Uppsala, Sweden and died on October 2, 1927 in Stockholm, Sweden. Arrhenius began his scientific career as a student at the University of Uppsala where he studied chemistry, physics, and mathematics. His intellect led him to become a great scientist. Arrhenius was elected, despite strong opposition, to the Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1901. He earned the Davy Medal of the Royal Society in 1902.  However, Svante Arrhenius was not simply smart. Svante Arrhenius is, in my opinion, a hero because he possessed, along with his intellect, determination, curiosity and innovation.

Despite the many obstacles in his life, Svante Arrhenius would not be discouraged from his scientific studies. This determination helped him overcome many obstacles: "Arrhenius's theory of electrolytes encountered widespread resistance from the scientific world, but it eventually found confirmation in the modern theory of atomic structure. Of the 56 theses advanced in his 1884 dissertation, only a few have not withstood the test of time or have had to be greatly modified"(Svante August Arrhenius). Arrhenius's theory was not accepted by the world until the modern atomic theory came around, but he was not discouraged.  He persevered until it was accepted, a truly heroic trait. This was just the beginning of Arrhenius's fantastic achievements; he maintained his determination to succeed until the end of his life. Arrhenius knew that the road to becoming a scientist was not smoothly paved. His idea of a connection between electricity and chemical affinity had "so completely vanished from the general consciousness of scientists that the value of Arrhenius' publication was not well understood by the science faculty at Uppsala.... On the other hand, Otto Peterson, Professor of Chemistry at Stockholm Hogskola, emphasized the originality of the dissertation....and at the end of 1884 he got a docent ship at Uppsala in physical chemistry - the first in Sweden in this new branch of science."(Svante Arrhenius-Biography) Arrhenius's work topics had been so neglected throughout the years that few scientists understood his theories. But a few professors, such as Otto Peterson, recognized his ingenuity. Arrhenius was a highly resourceful man, and because he knew that he was right, he persevered. Arrhenius has shown that if we put our minds to a task, we will succeed.

One reason Svante Arrhenius made all of his discoveries was because he was so curious. We can use countless examples from his life to show this: "He became interested in the widest application of the fundamental theory of chemical reactions. In 1902 he began to apply the laws of theoretical chemistry to physiological problems, especially those of serum therapy (immunochemistry). He found that organismic changes follow the same laws as ordinary chemical reactions and that no essential difference exists between reactions in the test tube and those in the human body"(Svante August Arrhenius). Never content with his deep knowledge of chemistry, Arrhenius was always looking to understand the world in deeper ways. Arrhenius was driven to understand the world's mysteries and moved on to subjects such as physics and energy conservation: "He took a lively interest in various branches of physics. and by his various contributions to our knowledge of the northern lights" (Svante Arrhenius - Biography). Arrhenius became interested in the fields of astronomy and cosmic physics, and he proposed a new theory of the birth of the solar system by the collision of stars. In 1903, he published Lehrbuch der kosmischen Physik, a textbook of cosmic physics. His life is proof that curiosity will lead you to discover new things about the world.

With his amazing ability to be innovative, it is hardly a wonder that Svante Arrhenius was such a success. Arrhenius was constantly creating new ideas and adding on to others' work. He proposed a modified form of English to fit with his idea of a universal language. His interest in the world led him to reflect upon the world's energy supply and the importance of conserving our natural resources. Arrhenius is credited with being the first person to provide an effective model of global warming, published in 1896: "His most remarkable contribution was perhaps his model of the greenhouse effect, according to which the temperature of Earth's lower atmosphere is determined by the concentration of carbon dioxide" (Svante August Arrhenius).  Arrhenius thought outside the box, always looking at things from a different angle. He influenced almost every field of science, and he paved the path for others by showing what there was still to do.  "There was hardly a field of science to which he did not make original, if not universally accepted, contributions" (Svante August Arrhenius).  Like a true hero, Arrhenius never saw his work as finished; each new day brought with it the opportunity for fresh discoveries.  During the last years of his life, Arrhenius continued writing textbooks, along with books for the general populace "in which he made it a point to indicate what was still to be done in the fields under discussion. Arrhenius had a healthy constitution, but he made great demands upon himself in order to maintain his extraordinary productivity" ( Svante August Arrhenius).

Arrhenius's intellectual ability, combined with his determination, curiosity and innovation helped him become one of the most successful men on earth. A hero is not defined by their success, a hero is someone motivated by more than just success; a hero is someone who strives to better themselves and the world:

 "He was constantly engaged in the scientific research of every one of us! . . . He was always ready to give you a recommendation or suggestion about what you had to do, how to continue your research in order to finish your work. And everything he was doing was so spontaneous and natural. This great man was able to entirely translate his scientific thinking in one of the most complex and abstract branches of chemistry, into common discourse, and this simplicity deeply impressed people around him."

 Arrhenius serves as an example to us all, inspiring the world to be their own personal hero, to become men and women of character. Svante Arrhenius inspires me because he was constantly driven to explore the world's mysteries. He inspires me to try and make a lasting impact on the world.

Works consulted

"Svante August Arrhenius." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context.   

  Web. 18 Mar. 2013.

"Svante Arrhenius - Biography". Nobelprize.org. 30 Mar 2013

"LETTERS OF SVANTE ARRHENIUS TO HIS FORMER CROATIAN STUDENT." Bull.

               Hist. Chem., 33.1  (2008): n. pag. Print.

    "Svante August Arrhenius." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In

                 Context. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.