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Article: A man of influence.(chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius)
- Article from:
- Chemistry and Industry
- Article date:
- December 21, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Society of Chemical Industry. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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During the first half of the 19th century chemistry was dominated by the towering figure of a chemist from Sweden. Although almost self-taught in chemistry, Jons Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848) was Sweden's greatest chemist and the ultimate authority during this crucial time. Few people have exerted so deep an influence over an entire discipline for so long a period.
However, his life and career provide us with a cautionary tale. He began as an avant-garde scientist who championed new ideas and helped make them part of mainstream science, but in his later years he became a conservative who impeded progress and whose ideas became increasingly irrelevant.
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