Napalm is any of a number of flammable liquids used in warfare, often jellied gasoline. Napalm is actually the thickener in such liquids, which when mixed with gasoline makes a sticky incendiary gel. Developed by the U.S. in World War II by a team of Harvard chemists led by Louis Fieser, its name is a combination of the names of its original ingredients, coprecipitated aluminum salts of naphthenic and palmitic acids. These were added to the flammable substance to cause it to gel.[1]
Kim Phuc was the subject of a famous photo from the Vietnam war which shows her as a child running naked after being severely burned by a napalm attack. She is joined by UC Davis faculty to consider photographic images that have changed history. Series: "Mondavi Center Presents" [5/2007] [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 12409]