to shock.

In 1857, Nobel filed the first of several hundred patents, mostly concerning air pressure, gas, and fluid gauges, but remained fascinated with nitroglycerin's potential as an explosive. Nobel, along with his father, and brother Emil, experimented with various combinations of nitroglycerin and black powder. Nobel came up with a way to safely detonate nitroglycerin by inventing the detonator, or blasting cap, that allowed