Lutz 4
Carol Ann Lutz
(teacher)
Physical Science
26 December 2012
Marie Curie (1867-1934) Polish/French Research Pioneer
From very difficult beginnings, Marie Curie became the most famous woman scientist in the world. She was born in 1867 in Poland. Her parents were both professors, and the family had once been wealthy, but Marie was born at a time when the Russians had strict control over Poland. Her father was a Polish nationalist, and because of this the Russians forced him into a series of lesser jobs, which impoverished the family. On top of this, by the time she was 11 years old, Marie had lost a sister and her mother to disease. In spite of these financial and family difficulties, though, Marie graduated secondary school with the highest honors. She could not continue her studies at the University of Warsaw, however, because they did not allow women to attend. So, Marie met secretly with other like-minded young people. Their “floating university” met at night at different locations to avoid the Russian police, and people there taught each other informally. Of this time, Marie said, “You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individual. To that end each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.” Soon, though, Marie and her sister Bronya realized that in order to further their educations, they would have to leave the country.
Older sister Bronya went first to study medicine in France. Marie worked five years as a governess to help pay for Bronya's schooling. In her spare time, Marie studied by herself. “During these years of isolated work, trying little by little to find my real preferences, I finally turned towards mathematics and physics, and resolutely undertook a serious preparation for future work.” Marie was finally able to move to France at the age of 24, thanks to financial help from her father. Marie took classes at the Sorbonne, and survived on a very limited budget by renting a small attic room, eating very little and staying warm in winter by piling all her clothes on the bedcovers. Still, it was a happy time for Marie. She was engrossed in her studies, and within three years she finished two degrees, one in physics, and one in math.
While looking for lab space to do some research, Marie met and married Pierre Curie, another scientist. Both Marie and her husband were teachers, and they also collaborated as researchers. Together, their curiosity led them to try to break down a mineral called pitchblende, which is a complex combination of over 30 elements. They did not have much money, so they did their chemical separation procedures in a leaky shed with makeshift equipment. Their research led to the discovery of two new elements, which were later named polonium and radium. Both of these elements had “radioactive” properties that led the Curies to the revolutionary idea that there might be a smaller particle than the atom. This smaller particle was later identified as the electron.
In the middle of these busy years, Marie suffered another personal blow when Pierre was killed in a street accident. Yet she carried on, raising their two daughters, teaching, and continuing her research. Marie's work with radium resulted in two important medical advancements. The discovery that radium's rays could penetrate flesh led to the development of the X-ray machine, which can locate bullets, shrapnel, and broken bones. In addition, the discovery that radium damages living flesh led to the development of treatments for cancer and other ailments. Ironically, Marie herself suffered from medical problems due to prolonged exposure to radium. She died of aplastic anemia at the relatively young age of 67.
During her life, though, Marie Curie was recognized internationally for her pioneering activities as a woman and as a scientist. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (1903), and the only person to win a second Nobel prize in a different field as well (Chemistry, 1911). Curie was also the first female professor at the University of Paris (La Sorbonne), and the first and only woman to date to be buried in the Pantheon in Paris. She received numerous other medals and honorary academic honors. Marie Curie, the poor girl from Poland, used her intelligence and persistence to change the world of science, and to inspire women everywhere.
Sources
Marie Curie and The Science of Radioactivity. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. http://www.aip.org/history/curie/brief/index.html
Marie Curie and The Science of Radioactivity. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. http://www.aip.org/history/curie/contents.htm
"Marie Curie - Biographical."Nobelprize.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1903/marie-curie-bio.html
"Marie Curie."Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 22 Mar. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. http://www.biography.com/people/marie-curie-9263538?page=1
"Marie Curie’s Losses and Triumphs."LucReidcom RSS. LucReid.com, 7 Nov. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2017. http://www.lucreid.com/?tag=marie-curie