1-152-277 - Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images

Svante Arrhenius (1859-1927), Swedish physicist and chemist in his laboratory, 1909. Arrhenius' work covered a wide range of subjects including immunology, cosmic physics and environmental issues. He discovered heat gain by the atmosphere due to carbon dioxide, predicting the 'greenhouse' effect as early as 1896. Arrhenius won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1903 for his theory of electrolytic dissociation. He was appointed Rector of the Nobel Institute in 1905.