The world of subatomic particles is fascinating, so it’s no surprise that Marie Sklodowska Curie found her passion in it! A beacon of guidance and inspiration in the scientific world, she is not only the only human to win the Nobel Prize twice, but she is also credited with pioneering the research on the enchanting, yet dangerous field of radioactivity.
Her parents were acclaimed professors, and since her father was a great enthusiast of mathematics and science, Marie too developed a love for sciences. This was also a key attribute contributing to her curiosity from a very early age. However, she was unable to afford higher education due to her gender and financial status, and she, therefore, commenced work as a governess for two years. However, in this period, she dabbled in practical science training regularly, and she later proceeded to Paris for her education.
In Paris, Marie found not only the education she had been seeking but also her love Pierre Curie, a man who shared a similar love and affinity for the sciences. After getting married, the couple delved into research regarding radioactivity, with a specific interest in Uranium and investigating its unknown radioactive properties. Publishing multiple papers about the riveting observations she made, Curie and her husband also discovered the element Polonium and Radium, two highly radioactive substances.
Due to her breakthroughs in research, Marie was the first woman, and only human, who has received two Nobel prizes – one for her research that coined the term radioactivity and the other for discovering the elements Polonium and Radium.
Despite her staggering research that pioneered an entire field of chemistry and physics, she was unaware of the damaging effects of radiation sickness. Unfortunately, due to her extended exposure to the many radioactive elements, she contracted aplastic anaemia and passed away shortly after.
Her research is widely used in the modern world. From its use in Chemotherapy and battling cancer cells to the use of radioactive isotopes to detect harmful leaks in industrial prizes, the secrets Marie Curie uncovered about the world of subatomic particles aids our lives magnanimously. From her iron-will to rise the ranks as a female scientist during a time of rampant sexism, to her insatiable thirst to know more, Marie Curie truly serves as a tremendous role model for many young scientists around the world.
