About a year ago Youtube channel Veritasium did a video on a man no one has ever heard about – a scientist – that is responsible for more human deaths and misery than anyone else, ever (even though he is long dead, his work still kills millions).
Clair Cameron Patterson was his name and i’m nearly a hundred percent sure you have never of him. Sure we’ve heard of the big names the history books say are the worst humans when it comes to body counts – but the silent ones are the real demons.
Who was Clair Patterson (the accidental mass murderer)
Clair Cameron Patterson was a scientist who was born on June 2, 1922, in Mitchellville, Iowa. He was best known for his work on using lead isotopes to measure pollution levels in the environment. He worked out how to accurately measure the age of the Earth, which overturned the prevailing scientific consensus at the time.
He is also credited with discovering how lead pollution from industrial processes, auto exhaust, and other sources had infiltrated the environment. His work in this area helped to lead to the eventual banning of leaded gasoline in the United States. He received numerous awards for his work, including the National Medal of Science, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, and the National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences.