Alfred Nobel invented dynamite by mixing unstable liquid nitroglycerin with an absorbent substance called kieselguhr (diatomaceous earth). This created a stable explosive that could be shaped into sticks and safely transported. Before dynamite, construction and mining relied on highly dangerous black powder or pure nitroglycerin, which often exploded unexpectedly. Dynamite revolutionized civil engineering, making it possible to blast tunnels through mountains, clear land for railroads, and dig massive canals like the Panama Canal. However, its use in warfare troubled Nobel deeply. This moral conflict led him to use his massive fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes, intended to honor those who provide the 'greatest benefit to humankind.'