Something About Marie Curie

SomethingAboutMarieCurieMarieCurie•MarieCurie,néeMariaSklodowska,(November7,1867---July4,1934)•Birthplace:WarsawHerFamily&Childhood•MarieSklodowskiwasbornonNovember7,1867inWarsawthecapitalofPoland.Bothofherparentswereschoolteachers,andtheyhadhighexpectationsfortheirfivechildren(Zosia,Bronia,Jozef,HelenaandMarie).Marie,hersisters,andbrotherallgraduatedwiththehighestgradesintheirclass.TheSklodowskifamilywasverylearnedandcultured,buttheystruggledfinancially.PolandwasoccupiedbyRussiaandGermany.Manyjobsweretakenbytheseunwelcomeforeigners.Marie'sfather,Wladyslaw,wasaschoolprincipal.HelosthisjobtoaRussianbecausehewasloyaltoPolandandapatriot.•Tohelpmeetlivingexpenses,Marie‘sfamilytookinstudentboarders.Thehouseholdwascrowdedwithsomanypeopleinoneapartment.Thosecrowdedlivingconditionshelpedtospreadtuberculosis(肺结核),amajorinfectiousdiseaseinthelatenineteenthcentury.Marie’smothergotthediseasefromWladyslaw‘sbrotherwhocametolivewiththem.Afterseveralexpensiverestcures(静养法)inthesouthofFrance,shediedin1878fromTBwhenMariewasonlynineyearsold.WhySheChosePhysics•Mariewasencouragedtostudyphysicalsciencebyhercousin,JozefBoguski.HewasthedirectoroftheWarsawMuseumofIndustry.Heallowedhertodoexperimentsinphysicsandchemistryontheweekendsatthemuseum.WhenMariegottotheSorbonne索邦神学院(巴黎大学的前身)inParis,arevolutionwasabouttotakeplace.Itwasnotarevolutionwithsoldiers,butarevolutioninscience.Thiswasaveryexcitingtimetostudyphysics.Physicsisabranchofsciencethatinvestigatesthefourforcesatworkintheuniversebothonalargescale,asinthesolarsystem,oronasmallscale,asinatoms.ThestructureoftheatomandtheforceswhichholdittogetherwerestillunknownwhenMarieenrolledasastudentattheSorbonne.MarieCurie'sResearch•WithPierreactingasheradvisor,Mariespentseveralyearspurifyinguraniumore(铀矿).Itwasagruelingtasktoisolatethe“radioactive”substancesfromtonsofordinaryrock.Toilingoveragiantvat(大盆),sheworkedoutofdoorsorinadraftyshed.Thiswasablessingindisguise(祸中得福)becausethevatgaveoffpoisonousradongas.TheCurieswerenotawareofthis.Marieproposedthattheradiationcamefrominsidetheatoms.Otherscientistsfollowedherleadandstartedtoinvestigatethestructureofatoms.ShediscoveredtwonewelementswhichtheCuriesnamedRadium(afterradiation)andPolonium(afterPoland).In1903,theCuriesandHenriBecquerelreceivedtheNobelPrizeinphysicsfortheircombinedresearchanddiscoveriesonradioactivity.TheDangerousBeautyofRadium•TheCurieshadtwodaughters:Irenewasbornin1897andEvein1904.Pierre‘sfathertookoverthechildcaredutiesasMarieandPierrebecamemoreandmoreinvolvedintheirwork.Mariebecamepregnantagain,butshesufferedamiscarriage(流产)probablyduetohighlevelsofradiationinherlab.OnerainyafternooninAprilof1906,Pierrewasrunoverbyahorse-drawnwagonanddied.Pierrehadbeenexperiencingseverepainsinhislegs,andthismayhavecausedtheaccident.Mariewasdevastated,andsheturnedtoaclosefriendofPierre’s,PaulLangevin,forcompanionship.Theirloveaffairwasexposedbyatabloid(小报)newspaper,andascandalresulted.Marie'sreputationandcareerwerenearlydestroyed.ThentheSwedishNobelcommitteeannouncedshehadwontheprizeforchemistry!DirectorofanInstitute•Thisprobablysavedhercareerinphysics.Inthefollowingyearsshewasverybitteraboutthewayshewastreated.Shemadeapointofhiringpeopleatherlabwhoalsohadsuffereddiscriminationbythemalescienceestablishment.Shealsohiredseveralwomenatherlabandgavethemtheirstartinphysics.OnewasMargueritePereywhobeganasatesttubewasherand,afewyearslater,discoveredtheradioactiveelementFrancium(钫).EllenGleditschcametothelabfromNorway.Athome,MariewastrainingIrenetobecomeaphysicist.IreneremindedherofPierre;shehadthesametempermentandthesamedislikeofschool.••Becauseofherservicetosoldiersduringthewar,theFrenchpublicbegantothinkofMarielessasaforeignerandmoreasapatrioticFrenchwoman.ShealsotouredAmericatwiceafterthewarandraisedmoneyforherRadiumInstitute.Duringtheseyears,shecontrolledthelargestsupplyofradioactivesubstancesusedinscientificresearch.Shesharedthesewithotherphysicslabsengagedinstudyingthestructureoftheatom.Mariehadtheconstitutionofahorse,butevensheeventuallysuccumbedtothelethaleffects(致命效应)ofradiationexposure.Inthelastdecadeofherlife,shesufferedfromseverepainsandacheslikePierrehad.Shealsohadcataracts(白内障)inhereyesandconstantringinginherears.In1934,Marie'sboldadventureintotheatomicuniversecametoanend.ShediedinParisofleukemia,acanceroftheblood.TheCurieTraditionLivesOn•In1997,Marie‘sremainsweremovedtothePantheon(万神殿),France'smonumenttoitsheros.Sheisthefirstwomantobesohonored.MarieCuriewasagreatPolishpatriot,butshehadwonaplaceintheheartoftheFrenchpeople.