Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or nitrous, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula . At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammable gas, with a slight metallic scent and taste. At elevated temperatures, nitrous oxide is a powerful oxidizer similar to molecular oxygen. It is soluble in water. Nitrous oxide has significant medical uses, especially in surgery and dentistry, for its anaesthetic and pain reducing effects. Its name "laughing gas", coined by Humphry Davy, is due to the euphoric effects upon inhaling it, a property that has led to its recreational
The Laughing Policeman (novel) The Laughing Policeman (novel) The Laughing Policeman is a mystery novel by Swedish writers Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, originally published in Sweden in 1968 as "Den skrattande polisen". It is the fourth of ten novels featuring Detective Martin Beck. In 1971, "The Laughing Policeman" earned a 'Best Novel' Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. The American police procedural film, "The Laughing Policeman" (1973), is a loose adaptation of the novel. It was translated into English in 1970. The novel's title, "The Laughing Policeman", derives from a 1922 British song of the same name. Detective Beck, ill for