Thomas Midgley Jr. (1889–1944) was an American mechanical and chemical engineer whose inventions profoundly shaped the 20th century but also caused immense unintended harm. He is often described as having had more adverse impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth’s history, due to his creation of two major substances that led to millions of deaths and environmental disasters worldwide[2][8].
Midgley’s Major Inventions
– Tetraethyl Lead (Leaded Gasoline): Midgley developed tetraethyl lead as an additive to gasoline to prevent engine knocking, revolutionizing the automobile industry. Despite knowing lead’s acute toxicity-he himself suffered lead poisoning during development-he pushed the product to market because it was highly profitable[3][8].
– Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): Midgley also invented some of the first CFC refrigerants, branded as Freon, which were widely used in refrigeration and aerosol sprays. These compounds were later found to cause severe damage to the ozone layer, contributing to environmental crises still being addressed today[2][3][8].
The Human and Environmental Toll
– Lead Poisoning: The use of leaded gasoline exposed millions to lead poisoning, which has been linked to decreased intelligence, increased crime rates, cardiovascular diseases, and premature deaths. Studies estimate that lead exposure may have caused up to 100 million deaths globally over the past century, including approximately 900,000 deaths annually as recently as 2019[1][5][8].
– Environmental Damage: CFCs contributed to ozone depletion, increasing skin cancer rates and exacerbating climate change. The environmental historian J.R. McNeill called Midgley’s impact on the atmosphere unparalleled by any other organism[8].
Midgley’s Death and Legacy
In 1940, Midgley contracted polio, leaving him severely disabled. He devised a complex system of ropes and pulleys to help himself get out of bed but tragically died in 1944 after becoming entangled and strangled by this device. His death was ruled a suicide by the coroner, although it is often mistakenly reported as an accidental death caused by his invention[3].
While Midgley’s inventions were commercially successful and revolutionized industries like transportation and refrigeration, their long-term consequences were catastrophic. His work caused widespread health problems, millions of deaths, and two major environmental disasters-lead pollution and ozone depletion-that humanity continues to grapple with today[2][5][8].
Thomas Midgley Jr.’s story is a stark reminder of how scientific innovation, when divorced from environmental and health considerations, can have devastating unintended consequences on humanity and the planet.
Read More
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV3dnLzthDA&vl=en
[2] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19850528/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Midgley_Jr.
[4] https://www.reddit.com/r/slatestarcodex/comments/ud0p2i/the_man_who_accidentally_killed_the_most_people/
[5] https://www.unilad.com/community/how-one-man-accidentally-killed-the-most-people-in-human-history-20220804
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV3dnLzthDA
[7] https://open.spotify.com/episode/5YcVxLp4NoYiYDvepHg8eD
[8] https://thinkinginenglish.blog/2024/03/04/286-who-is-responsible-for-the-most-deaths-in-history-the-story-of-thomas-midgely-jr-english-vocabulary-lesson/