How did Dynamite cause the Nobel Peace Prize?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Who Smarted? – How did Dynamite cause the Nobel Peace Prize?"

Podcast: Who Smarted?
Episode: How did Dynamite cause the Nobel Peace Prize?
Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media
Audience: Kids, families, and classrooms
Theme: The origins and significance of the Nobel Prize, focusing on its surprising connection to dynamite and Alfred Nobel

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Who Smarted?" dives into the curious story of the Nobel Prize—one of the most famous global awards for science, literature, medicine, peace, and economics. With a humorous, interactive style, the hosts (and special historical guest, Alfred Nobel) explore how the invention of dynamite led its inventor to create an award celebrating achievements that better humanity. The episode mixes fascinating facts, playful quizzes, and memorable anecdotes, making Nobel's legacy as fun as it is informative.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What Is the Nobel Prize? (04:12)

• The Nobel Prize is an award for exceptional achievements in several fields: physiology and medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and economics.
• Winners receive a medal, a diploma, and a cash award.
  • [04:36] Alfred Nobel: “People who are awarded the Nobel Prize receive a medal, a diploma, and money, which means the answer is D, all of the above.”

2. Origin of the “Nobel” Name (02:55)

• The award is named after Alfred Nobel, not because it’s "noble" or "no bell," but because it honors his legacy.

3. Alfred Nobel’s Story and Dynamite’s Impact (06:18)

• Nobel, a chemist and inventor, created dynamite and blasting caps, which made him wealthy but also contributed to violence.
• [07:09] Alfred Nobel: “Yep, I invented dynamite and blasting caps, which are the detonators used to explode dynamite from a distance. While this made me very wealthy, I did not want to be remembered for inventing things that were often used as weapons.”
• Troubled by his invention’s use in warfare, Nobel decided his fortune should reward those who better humanity.

4. Nobel Prize Fields and History (05:04-05:52)

• First awarded in 1901 in five areas: physiology/medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, and peace. Economics was added in 1968.
• Nobel passed away in 1896 and never saw the first prizes awarded.

5. Notable Nobel Laureates and Their Achievements

Watson, Crick, Wilkin — DNA Structure (08:30, 08:57)

• Their discovery of DNA’s structure earned them the Nobel Prize in 1962.
• Fun fact: Their demonstration model for DNA was made using pieces of cardboard.
  • [09:25] Alfred Nobel: “But here’s the best part. You don’t need to have fancy building materials. Since the bases for the demonstration models weren’t ready in time, James Watson just cut some pieces out of cardboard.”

Marie Curie — Double Nobel Laureate (10:27-11:38)

• Won Physics (1903, shared) and Chemistry (1911, solo). First person and woman to win two Nobel Prizes.
• Her husband Pierre and later her daughter Irene also became laureates.
  • [10:27] Alfred Nobel: “It sure has. In 1903, Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in physics. And in 1911, she won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.”

Youngest Winner — Malala Yousafzai (13:20-14:02)

• Won at 17 for her campaign for girls’ education.
  • [13:33] Alfred Nobel: “If you guessed 17 years old, you’re right. Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 when she was only 17 years old.”

6. The Nobel Peace Prize’s Special Meaning (14:15-15:07)

• Of all the prizes, peace is closest to Nobel's heart.
  • [14:30] Alfred Nobel: “In my life, most of my friends were pacifists… they were not happy that I invented dynamite, which could be used as a weapon of war… So, honoring those who make bringing about peace their mission is something I hold very dearly.”

7. The Selection Process (15:08-15:47)

• Winners are chosen by committees, not past laureates or a single individual.
• The process takes about eight months each year due to global nominations and deliberation.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On mixing up “Nobel” and “no bell”:
  • [02:25] Grandma: “That’s easy. It’s because you don’t get any bells with your prize.”
• On inventing dynamite:
  • [07:09] Alfred Nobel: “Yep, I invented dynamite… While this made me very wealthy, I did not want to be remembered for inventing things that were often used as weapons.”
• On Marie Curie:
  • [10:27] Alfred Nobel: “It sure has. In 1903, Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in physics… and in 1911, she won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.”
• On peace and regret:
  • [14:30] Alfred Nobel: “In my life, most of my friends were pacifists… they were not happy that I invented dynamite… honoring those who make bringing about peace their mission is something I hold very dearly.”
• On the quirky dream of a ‘Nobel Pizza Prize’:
  • [16:04] Chet Nickerson: “It seems Alfred Nobel… has just set a new record for eating pizza. In fact, he wants to create a new award called the Nobel Pizza Prize.”

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:45] Introduction to prizes and the Nobel Prize topic
• [02:55] Alfred Nobel is introduced (time-travel “guest”)
• [04:36] What winners receive
• [05:04] Fields of the Nobel Prize
• [06:18] The story behind Nobel’s invention of dynamite
• [08:30] DNA discovery and Nobel Prize connection
• [10:27] Marie Curie’s double laureate status
• [13:33] Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Prize at 17
• [14:30] Nobel’s feelings toward peace and his legacy
• [15:08] How winners are chosen and the selection process

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Tone and Style

The episode is energetic, humorous, and interactive—with puns, light-hearted banter, and direct questions to the audience (“smarty pants”). The recurring pizza-eating joke adds levity, and time-travel “guest” Alfred Nobel brings history to life in an accessible, playful way.

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Concluding Thought

The episode leaves listeners with the message that anyone can aspire to make a difference—maybe even enough to win a Nobel Prize someday:

• [15:47] Host: “Who knows, smarty pants? Maybe one of you listening right now will go on to win a Nobel Prize for changing the world one day.”

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Episode takeaway:
The Nobel Prize exists because Alfred Nobel, troubled by the negative uses of his invention (dynamite), chose to celebrate those who improve the world—reminding us that even our mistakes can lead to something positive.

Transcript

[A]

This podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. If you ever had that feeling of, oh, I have an idea, I just don't know where to start. Squarespace is honestly the tool that bridges that gap. It's an all in one platform that lets you build a real online presence, whether you're launching something new, turning a hobby into a business, or finally creating the project that you've been talking about for two years. No judgment. I've been there. What I love most is how approachable it feels. You can start with blueprint AI. Tell Squarespace a little bit about your style and your business, and it generates a stunning website layout for you in minutes. From there, it's drag and drop. Simple to personalize. Photos, text, branding, everything just clicks together. And if you're offering services or classes or selling access to premium content, Squarespace already has payments, scheduling, and even member only access built right in. One login, one dashboard, and you're live. If you keep saying someday, this is your sign. You even get 14 days free trial from Squarespace. So. So there's nothing to lose. Head to squarespace.com and when you're ready to launch, go to squarespace.com smarted and use offer code smarted to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com smarted. And now it's time for WhoSmarted. Hey, smartypants, do you like winning prizes? I love winning prizes. Like when I won second place in my sixth Gr spelling bee. Or third place in my high school Science Olympiad.

[B]

Ooh.

[A]

And of course I took first place in my local pizzerias pizza eating contest last weekend.

[B]

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

[A]

Yep, those were some pretty special moments. Call out any prizes you may have won, smarty pants. Nice. And no worries if you've never won a prize. Just taking part in a competition and giving it your all can be very rewarding. And lots of fun too. Unless it's a pizza eating contest. To eat all that pizza and not win would really stink. Anyway, today we're going to learn about a really special prize called the Nobel Prize. Some people mistakenly think it's called the Nobel Prize, which kind of makes sense since it's pretty noble or honorable to win one, but it's actually called the Nobel Prize. Do you know why it's called the Nobel Prize?

[B]

That's easy. It's because you don't get any bells with your prize.

[A]

No, no, no, no, no. Stop those bells.

[B]

That's right. This is a no bell. Prize?

[A]

No, no, no, Grandma. The Nobel Prize has nothing to do with bells. Oh.

[B]

Does it have anything to do with meat cake?

[A]

Definitely not. Although anyone who can finish one of your meat cakes probably deserves a prize. But no.

[B]

So why is it called the Nobel Prize?

[C]

Perhaps I could help answer that question, Trusty.

[A]

Ah, now we're talking. Smarty pants, meet Alfred Nobel. He's one of our historical guests that only a podcast like who Smarted? Could get, namely because he's been dead since 1896. But thanks to the miracle of time travel and suspension of disbelief, here he is now to help us learn about the prize that bears his name.

[C]

You've got that right, Trusty. Also, I'd love to enter one of those pizza eating contests.

[A]

Trust me, you have no shot. I'm unbeatable.

[B]

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

[A]

Anyway, Alfred Nobel is here to help us learn things like what is the Nobel Prize, how do you win it? And who are some of the people who have won past Nobel Prizes?

[C]

I don't know, Trusty. I think I could take you in a pizza eating contest.

[A]

Will you forget about the pizza and keep your eyes on the prize? Nobel. Sheesh. As for you, smarty pants, get ready for another whiff of science and history on who smarted?

[B]

Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun, but who's smarted?

[A]

Okay, smarty pants, we all know the Nobel Prize is a prize of some kind. After all, it's right in the name. And we know it was named after a man named Alfred Nobel. But what exactly do you get if you win a Nobel Prize? Is it A, a medal, B, a diploma, C, a cash reward, or D, all of the above? Alfred, want to tell them the answer?

[C]

People who are awarded the Nobel Prize receive a medal, a diploma, and money, which means the answer is D, all of the above.

[A]

Whoa, that sounds like a great prize. All I got for winning the pizza eating contest was a T shirt and.

[C]

Ooh, a T shirt sounds nice.

[A]

Stop with the pizza, Alfred. You can't win. And speaking of winning, how does somebody win a Nobel Prize?

[C]

Good question, Trusty. The Nobel Prize is awarded to people who have done important work in physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics.

[A]

Wow, those sound like some truly important things to do work in, smarty pants. Any idea how long the Nobel Prize has been awarded? Is it A, since the 1800s, B, since the 1900s, or C, since the 2000s?

[C]

If you said B since the 1900s, you're right. The Nobel Prize was founded in 1901 and has been awarded almost every year since then. The original categories were physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace. Economics was added later in 1968.

[A]

But wait, Alfred, since you died in 1896, that means you never actually saw someone win the prize named after you.

[C]

Nope. But at least I was alive when the first Margherita pizza was famously invented in 1889.

[A]

A pizza? Wow. You are as bad as me about always thinking about pizza. Anyway, I have to know, what did you do in your life, Alfred? That. That they would name this prestigious or well respected prize after you?

[C]

Ah. Unfortunately, the inspiration for the Nobel Prize came from something that was not always a good thing.

[A]

Really?

[C]

Like what you see, Trusty, I was a chemist, an engineer and an inventor. And I invented something very useful, but that could also be used to make weapons.

[A]

Smarty pants, any idea what Alfred Nobel invented that could have both good and not so good uses? No, not bombs. And certainly not the atomic bomb that was Oppenheimer. I'll give you a hint. It's long, usually reddish, has a fuse that you light and looks like a big firework. Did you say dynamite? Great job if you did.

[C]

Yep, I invented dynamite and blasting caps, which are the detonators used to explode dynamite from a distance. While this made me very wealthy, I did not want to be remembered for inventing things that were often used as weapons.

[A]

I see. And once you invent something, you can't take it back, right?

[C]

Nope, you can't. But I could leave behind instructions in my will for after I died.

[A]

Oh, and what did you want people to do then?

[C]

The instructions were about the money I made from my inventions. Not to brag, but I made a lot of money. I wanted the money to be given away as prizes every year to people who did great things to help the world. That's why the prizes are for things in science, medicine, literature and peace. Although I must admit, economics is a good addition.

[B]

Oh, what about a Nobel Prize for inventing foods? I bet my meat cake could change the world.

[A]

It would certainly make a lot more vegetarians.

[B]

You love it.

[A]

Anyway, what are some of the things that people have done to be awarded a Nobel Prize? I know a lot of the smarty pants listening are interested in science, and that's something people have been awarded the Nobel Prize for.

[C]

Well, in 1962, James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkin were awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on discovering the structure of DNA.

[A]

Whoa, smarty pants. In case you didn't know, DNA is something in your body's cells that contains genes. Not genes like pants, but the instructions for how your body will work. In fact, note to self, we should do an episode of who smarted on DNA.

[C]

By the middle of the 20th century, scientists knew that genes determined things that could be passed down from your parents. And they knew that DNA contained the genes. They just weren't sure of the structure of DNA. James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkin did the work that helped the people better understand DNA. And to do so, they used a demonstration model of DNA.

[A]

Smartypants, if you like to build things, definitely keep it up.

[C]

But here's the best part. You don't need to have fancy building materials. Since the bases for the demonstration models weren't ready in time, James Watson just cut some pieces out of cardboard.

[A]

Huh. That sounds like a great use for all my empty pizza boxes.

[C]

Ooh, speaking of pizza, when is the next competition?

[A]

Will you stop trying to eat more pizza than me? Although it would be cool if you could win a Nobel Prize for eating pizza.

[C]

I don't think eating pizza really helps the world.

[A]

No, but it does help my local pizzeria. Anyway, back to DNA.

[C]

The work done by Watson, Crick, and Wilkin continues to help people better understand DNA, which has helped scientists find new ways to fight diseases and solve crimes.

[A]

Definitely more important than eating pizza. Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom, smarty pants. True or false? You can only win the Nobel Prize once.

[C]

If you said true, that's wrong.

[A]

Wait a minute. You're telling me that you can win the Nobel Prize more than once? Has that ever happened?

[C]

It sure has. In 1903, Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in physics. And in 1911, she won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

[A]

Amazing. We actually did an episode on Marie Curie. Her Nobel Prize in Physics helped people better understand atoms and radioactivity. Not only that, she was the first woman to ever win a Nobel Prize. Whoa.

[C]

Well done, Trost. Marie Curie's first Nobel Prize was shared with her husband, Pierre, and another scientist named Henri Becquerel. And for her second Nobel Prize in Chemistry, she won it all by herself, becoming the first person to ever receive Nobel Prizes in two fields. But get this. Marie wasn't the only person in her family to receive the Nobel Prize.

[A]

I know. She shared her first Nobel Prize with her husband. We were listening.

[C]

I'm glad you were paying attention, but that's not what I meant. After Marie Curie won her second Nobel Prize. No other woman won again for 24 years.

[A]

Oh, then what happened?

[C]

Her daughter Irene won the Nobel Prize for chemistry.

[A]

Whoa. Whoa. That's amazing, smarty pants. True or false. You have to be at least 18 years old to win a Nobel Prize. The answer is coming right up after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Hey, Trusty here. You know what's cool? Having your own smartwatch that lets you call and text your friends and family, play awesome games, and even use kids safe chat to get answers to the kinds of questions I know you love. Like how do birds fly? Or why is the sky blue? That's what Pinwheel's smartwatch does. It's designed just for kids to so you can call your parents when you need a ride, text your best friend about weekend plans, play fun games, and use the kids safe chat to learn cool new things without any of the stuff you don't need. Parents. You'll love this part. You control who your kid can contact. No strangers, no spam. You can set screen time schedules for school and homework, check messages remotely and track the location with built in gps. Plus, you decide what apps they can access. As your kid grows, Pinwheel grows with them. Start simple, then unlock more features when they're ready. It's why Pinwheel was named the number one kids phone by Parents magazine. This holiday, get up to 50% off with a quarterly or annual subscription plus free shipping and 30 day returns. Visit pinwheel.com smarted that's P-I N W H E-E-L.com smarted now back to who smarted? Okay, where were we? Oh, I know. I was curious if you had to be 18 years or older to win a Nobel Prize, what do you think, smarty pants? Is that true?

[C]

The answer is false.

[A]

Really? So how old was the youngest person to win a Nobel Prize? What do you think, smarty pants? Were they 10, 15, or 17 years old?

[C]

If you guessed 17 years old, you're right. Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 when she was only 17 years old.

[A]

That's incredible. What did Malala win the Nobel Peace Prize for?

[C]

Her fight to make sure all children could go to school and have an education. She even helped to create an organization called the Malala Fund to to open schools for children all over the world.

[A]

That's so impressive. She did that before she even turned 18. I was still trying to beat my favorite video game. So, Alfred, obviously all the Nobel Prizes are important, but are there any that are more well known or talked about.

[C]

Yes. While all the Nobel Prizes are important, the Nobel Peace Prize seems especially respected and coveted. And it's probably the one I value most as well.

[A]

Really? Why is that?

[C]

In my life, most of my friends were pacifists. That means that they were people who believed deeply in peace. As you can imagine, they were not happy that I invented dynamite, which could be used as a weapon of war.

[A]

Yeah, I can imagine that making hanging out with your friends a little awkward.

[C]

And truthfully, I was also not happy about what I had done. So, honoring those who make bringing about peace their mission is something I hold very dearly.

[A]

I completely understand that. And I'm happy that today you are remembered more for the Nobel Prize than anything else.

[C]

Thanks, Frosty.

[A]

One more question. Who decides on the winners for the Nobel Prize? Smartypants. See if you can guess. Is it decided by A, past winners of the award, B, several committees, or C, one person?

[C]

If you said B, several committees, you're right. The Nobel Prize is so important that many people need to agree on who should win it.

[A]

I see. Smartypants, how long do you think it takes to choose the winners? Five months, eight months? Or an entire year? If you said eight months. Well done.

[C]

It takes time to gather the nominations and choose the winners from all over the world.

[A]

Who knows, smarty pants? Maybe one of you listening right now will go on to win a Nobel Prize for changing the world one day. I know you all have the potential to do great things. Anyways, thanks for stopping by, Alfred. Um, Alfred? Where'd he go?

[B]

This is Chet Nickerson with a breaking news bulletin. It seems Alfred Nobel, the man behind the Nobel Prize, has just set a new record for eating pizza. In fact, he wants to create a new award called the Nobel Pizza Prize.

[A]

You've got to be kidding me. A big double shout out to Eric and Evan from Markham, Ontario, Canada. We hear you love listening to who Smarted every morning on the way to school and that your favorite episode is why do people pee when they laugh? And your favorite character is Chet Nickerson. Nice. Well, we're happy to have you learning and laughing with us. Hopefully without the pee this episode. Nobel Prize was written by Sarah Sweetek and voiced by Taya Garland Lid Adam, Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic audio production.

[B]

Who Smarted.

[A]

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