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VOLLIME 3, NO. 1, JANUARY, 2012
Marie Curie — An Immortal Life in Science
Family Background
Marie Curie, one ofthe arectes seco sts oll time
seas burn on November 7, 1857. Her father’ rare 4s
‘Whecisiay Sklodowski nd mother, ronishen. She
lens the EAL and fase child of the family: Palard was
thor under the rule of the Russian Tzars, There were
so uprisings, one in November 1830 end the second
fne in January $63, sshich led to the exile ant
inpeisonment of Poles an a vast scale. Mother
Bronislaw sas he headmistress of a private schon!
ne of the host schools fet iss in Wars She was
rai during suunmer TS) and used to live nan
gpattment adjacent 1o her school, The eauple lived
here for seven years. Vm. Bronslawa bore five
cluldren: Zofs in 1962, Jozef in 1863, Bronstav it
1865, Helen in 866 und finally Maria ia 1367.
Dring January 1868 uprising, Wladystaw's beothe
Aiisinw, vvice wounded nthe fighting, Ned to
France Bronislawa's hrother Hearyk, se ae Soight
in te rebelhon, was exiled in Siberia for fone years
‘Walyst’s father als fou inthe Noversne? 1830
uprising, 20d was Given ont foot, 130 miles net 0”
Waray However, lates, he yess is career a8 4
tegchor Hs, 2 hea of te shoe, isin hat ented
pessins dhol be alowed wy sdy withthe chile
‘ofthe nabiliy. This wus simply unbelicvsble at tha
time!
This Mori's fly, book hors mother end father's
cud. hadalong political aditon
‘What wasthe tito the Polesin Russian Pola?
I he suites 1a, he can never become & judge
senerally not oven an ollieial, without separating
‘imei toma intersoursa with bis counteynen I he
ies medicine, he ean never obtain a post at @
uaniversiy never be atthe head of = hospital, never
Te isi eal
‘unauet a public clinic, The rests
sbasery oF anything
However. sciero
note, ‘My futher enjoyed giving explaneien shout
‘Nature. Unhappily, head 20 labortony an enw not
petformespenieris,
Syamal Chakrabarti
Whar a6 his educational qualification? the never
suid abroad or obisined any university degree ee
the uprising of Novetsbe IN, she Russians closed
down ‘Warsaw Univers ty. However,” Wladys uw
Studie ology in Warsi, gredusting fom > vlepy
department without sin any official tas, ese
Twleich biology tohisosetiliren
‘The family moved fiom the apartment adiacent to the
scheal in 1868. A great tragedy camo into the Fai
Moher Bronisiaw died im 1A78 ftom ubereulosi
‘She was out of huine Jor tresiment whe Maria was
Fixe years old only. ter leaving ier terchis jo,
Bronisiawa taught lrself shoe making. She hen
fpencd a litle shop in her apaitcar without ast
Fesentment Fr daingithe so-called low cccupation of
‘cobble
Ue family sel to send vacation with lr rela
imcourtysides, Maria wrote later, Tome my koe lt
the country anid nate "Sho lst he nolberasen yeas
offer sue She aad also founs the sagie demise of hee
{eldest sister Zofia two vaurs and dive months betaee
herriothers deat
Her Education in Poland
Maria got sdmiss on atthe sehool where her moter
aca teicher Sheand Helena opted fr
their cird urate class. Helen ss ten
nine Gen. Mana was youngest in
influenced her’ classmates. ith he unusual
intelligence and exceatinal temo. of he fiends
respected tier nd often asked lar belp in ratheriaics
ard other difficult sunsets,
Maria Sklodosska_gradusted trom Gymnasiuin
Nantbee Three i883. Jozob their only brren, wet
fo Medical schon! at Rarsaw University. Asmiseon of
‘women io Warsaw Univesity was fonbilden tat
{ime What can Marie do now? She en study abe
Pais or St Petersharg, oF she ean be a tench ike he
clas She
matter Whathappncd et
She touk almost a yea"s test in the country. She
‘euded a train ant tt Wars foram extend visit
ajihecmateal ance ao eat
She wrote! t have no schedule get up eometimes at
fel Celocksornotimes at Tour se ive (morning, nol
evening! reno serous books only harmless td
Aisuidlilicnovels
‘Maa, jn ter yourer days, was lugely influenosd by
Dositivista Auguste Com he or gina ofthe 1a
Enaceived: postivism ax 4 son! roligion whicieas
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Palisa positvise cmbeacsd empiviism and ejected
Ue moluphysical pat of. Comte was believer of
‘oateral infesiosity of womnen. The plish positivist:
were enthusiastic nuppartersof women'srighis
Some of nur readers may nat believe the fall
Fics nowadays,
‘There was an edieation academy forthe young Polish
swomten which started sunning from 1882. Two hundred
young Polish women used to mee. secretly in the
privatsaparioent ofthe supporters where they were
Taught by prominent Warsaw seientist, philosophers
fang historians of Polish literature and cules
Somehow, Russian Police got the information and
‘mos: of the foaehers in the academy were forced to
leave Wasess, Maria was involved in the souret
seadlemty flow its inception. Maria and Bronia, after
wyauation, begat to take courses. In TS86, the
sealemy became a mivessiy known as Flsing
Universi, By 1889-60, @ thousand women were
rolled in FlyiagCuiversity:
ng
‘After takiug courses fas one yeu, she decided to take a
jeb.as3 governess inthe family of lawyers. The Tarily
Frembers were sinply unbearable,
‘aria wrote, Tearned to kaow the human ase a isle
better oy ling here. Tlearned hat the exaracers
seria in nos relly da exist, One mast no enter
into eon wits people who have
by wealth”
‘This kind of dily-ife ean nat go an fer ever Roni
sand Maria mnade'a plan, 3ronse will gp for study in
Paris within a peer Masia will contre as poverress
Tor aeiping Bionis and her father. Once Bromta 8
cstablished, Maria 1 follow he.
Maia workel for fue yours sw yowernass, During
Ss pel Mars el teach gr a pia
peastnl children. She also contaued Rot
felication. She sudiod Daniels Physies, Sponc
Social (in French), Paul Ber Lessons on Anatomy
and Phys olngy (in Russian). She kept her hahit of
Solving ul zebriandingonamety.
Maria wrote as us mueh interested in lerature and
sociology as in seienee,, I finally tumst towards
iathetwatisarnd physi.
(One of Maria's ecusin, fourteen yeas oldet than hes,
had rourned te Poland ater studying in Russia with
Mendeleew. He bocime the disctor of @ positivist.
influenced instintion named Museum ef Fuss and
ro pagation
Jour of Sten Commas
Agvicleure’ (1875), These was a heisty laboratory
Jn'the mescum, She ws allowed to work over there
Sho‘srote inher antebiogiephiea! nots
“Cgied out varies experiments described in sitios
on physics and chow ists. THe sul: wore sometimes
Unexpected. There were also seicemts ene fluo
Fesuling roo my inexperience
French biologist Claude Remnant (1813-1878) ws er
hero, Rersard is considered bee fahero-odera
experiments! physiology. Probably because of er
five access inthe chemistry Inboratory, she opto far
shemvy and phys over hogy wisn a
Her Life in France
Brosia got her medical degre jn 1891 std srl
prcticng in Pay ith er physician husband. Mara
Esme to Paris durisa Novenhe 1891. Thal tin,
Searson all eould not bear weve in. evi suit end
ould not spend their owe carninas without thei
husband's permission Marianas. avission in
Sarbninne att gat fernce en setences in 1893 fone out
of (60 Kemve Beence.teciniens in the wine
university) end fcence ds mathemuatiques i 1894 (one
fut of five recipient in the whole university, A teal
of sieer professor taut her F ght were so famous
that theirsames are found inthe ent Dietionty of
Scientific Biography, Maca stood frst inthe feence
@s sciences and second in the licence et
matcmanigues,
‘After sometime, im the spring of 1894, she met
Pierre Curie (1889-1906) who was. thea
conducting experiments un magnetism, Dy that
time, he had already taventeda numbor of dches
imcesuring instruments, Lard Kelvin appreciated
Piewre for Tis original contribution to
understanding of heat snd work. He wa a teacher
in the Klecle municinale de pibsstque ot chamie
Indusiielfe aad was least interested tw submit a
thesis or PhD degree. However, Pierre presented
his thesis at the Sorponre in. Matslt 1895 and
‘obtained PE Dshorly Matia and Piesre married on
July 26,1885
‘They were not slaves of fashiom hat loved bicycling
‘Where they were in Paris, they used ther bustles
‘whanever pesible, Pree and Matias yeas eobined
Income was six thousand franes, roughly thre times af
a seiooleueher anal our mes that cs laoer: Tei
Jnsome da nox permicthem te havese-vanls,
POPUP OPO POPP ROO VOPR ROP RR Oe ee ae ee ee eee
agation
una of Siene Common
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Peepaeeaee”
Righrtfomthe very beginning, they usedta ga esearch
logetner Irene wasborn on Septetnber 12, 1897. Aner
tu months, Maris tok ass Site wrote her Father
fon November IC, 1897 dont want to inertere ih
ry cls doveloprient foramythingon eth,
Atte samesine her devaton fr esench was beyond
{Sy auecon, She wile a paper ‘On Magasin of
Temyered Sess far the Bulgin ofthe Soe frie
Ercouragement of National Indus Tse her ist
publ ail. She conoetiaed on her work or
Mmision ‘of her PED thesis. Emisent French
ict Hen Hergierel dlscvetedtadioatiiy im
keh tos She arcsed 0 votk on tiesane nuh
fic abjst was fhe sen a te, Pee Cue
ths eindin hisendevour
They wore the first to invent a highly seneitize
radigactivty measuring instament Ty fet they mse
fn ionization etambse from the [ell ver ssnen
srocery erates, Inside, they iauodueed two eivular
intl plates, cipw eortimeters in diame me ahove
the athe, sopersied by dos centimeters. Or the lover
Pkt, trey placed a thia layer of Whe substance in
‘question. Then they charged the lower plate wit a
High-vokagehanery. the substance on ie mae was
ondacioe dug) ain per pave woul sally
he chayged. ‘She fis experimented with white
UUaaium powder oblained from Henn Moistan (NU
0g. Then she cellcted samples haphazerdly trom
her caleagnes avoune She had det note-books on
hes experituents, On February 16, 1989, she tested 3
slements itelicing Gold aad Copper. Nene of thom
produced cutents as evidenced feo the dellostion
petomoftcclecteometer
Golden Time Ahead
(On Febranty 1, 1898, se tested bean black pithy
tninral oe as pitehblerl, a mineral of Uraniu
Tegrime back in 789, elf tgt chore Marcin
Hist Kleproth esirictod Umium tom this
ninoval.TVe element eas used aes cavouring agent
‘Marie Cais tun thatthe mineral produces strong
urea: thay Uraniam alone. She was paaled. Next
thy, stevied with several Un iunneompuatds wll
ts Unaniun and yitchilende. Compounds age Tess
saotve than pure Urania. Bur pitch
On February 24, 1888, she experimented with the
nied acschnite which contains Mian but 10
Uranium. tt is also foun wo be more active than
(Cranium, Theriem was discovered hy IJ, Berzsios
Tes,
Observation I: Thorium s more active than Union
(Observation It: Pitchblende more active than sither
atthe
During that perod, Pies had been tumad doxn a
orofessorship at Soiboune. Jean Peis, twelve yours
‘Younger thas hin, get the job, Charles Friedel, who
Drapessd Pie's ame totes letertahim
‘what can one do against a nermalien? . do good
work in physical ebenissy order show these
The couple did not care the rejgctian, Piete was
hen working with crystals. He left that research
land joined Madam Curie (Note Book" Maveh 18,
1308
Why pitzhblende is more active? Imustcontainness
‘aciosetive elements, Cuties performed atctsr
experiment in between, They measured the act ¥iy
Dt natural chalealite Ti the same by
addirg Uranium and Copper phosphate ard
compared the activity of natural ‘haleoite ah
cifeal chaoui, Hs ue thatthe later sts
fess activity than Usanium, Their inuhedhate
conclusion : Natur ehatoalite contains element
mereactive thin "seis
In Search of New Elements
Marie Curie read paper in the Academe ttl Rays
mitted by Cranium ard Thorium compels, As
Maris and Plewe sere nol the members of the
exon he pape: was reul by Girl ppm, 4
teacher oF Marie at Sorbunce. This paper wa not ony
ft ating ev eaten ut propane wo meh me
Tinpovant tings
4 Novelty ino physics : radioastive properties are a
Giagnosic for the discovery of new" sbstaices
{Abrabean Pais: invant Boenh
1) Ac activity ws Round 40 be progertonal with
Amonat of Uranium o Thorm, radioactivity i en
stant phenomeao
Marie and Pierre stared working with, 100 gm of
pitehblende, “hey tated the mineral with sens
hemcals. They measurel activity of each faction
‘The fraction having, highest activity was put under
34
spcetoscopy: No definite spectra was observed boeeuss
oF inpurtes. They invied Gustave Been, a chemi,
to hep na separation, The saryple was divided into to
pars. Mave ort sisting, which is 3 times active
fan Uraiuan, Pleme got 380 ties active mateial
They performed spectroscopy. Again resus are
atsappainsing Finally hey gee parewhich sn times
more retive, They named it ss alomury {Duly
TS98). The paper ented “Ura New Raionacive
Substance eebigmeslnPichblende
Ale that, thee was 9 work or thce oth det he
Shomage of winerals The wav again sted in November
1804, Thuy aot pare which i ODO tines ative than
Graium. Ths tneSpactoscepy worked. Achameess
Seta Ties Fun which wasnt no et
In the note books om 2th December 1898, Pi
romney a names Ragin A pane led
Tete Sirly Rasioassve Substance eortned
anPichblende was red on Dscembor 2, 188
From the heginning ofthe new year, hey div their
searching area: Macame dockted to folate Radium’
(Getora chemist) cere dseided 9 ind ou the cause
Stradinget ity (get afapysicin), We eitea evasling
‘stement fom tiene
it wae my mothar who had no fear af throwing
hveelt witht personnel, withant mney. what
supplies. with wayehouse Tor a Ieboratony, into
sauning tsk of testing kilos ptehbleade inorder to
feoncentste and soiae radim, Maric hi work
‘Sith 20 kgsof material ars time
Maric wots, we Wete very happy. We passed aut
ays atthe laboratory, often eating 2 smle stden’s
Tach sere, Whisn sve were cold cup ef hot toa
clicerad us. We lived in proseeupation es complet
{hatofadrean’ Their financial soetionges mierable
Marie wentetafer nother fone (March 189M}
my huxhaadts sary isnot que enough “or ust live
cn Wekavs fad some unexsoeted extra resoneas (.e
izes) every year, which keeps us fom hwvinga deft
‘After fou leap years of caninnous work, in July 190,
Matie Curie anounced tat so ad isolated ane dcipran
frei Weal oo, asin spoons MNOS
‘ut ras nae own to the Cures that hae a deal
poten Tir chooks are undounieds very ESOS
Sheumnsnts bu eve aly ey ell aia
1890 end 1900 wore vorytuitul yeas. Marie wrote
‘opape's on solaron otradiun, Piste wiete on.on
igaliol
the affect of magnetic Held on radium emission. There
were tives joint papers where thoy repreed induced
alinasiviy eid) etre eharge af cei can
ys.
International Congress of Physics,
Paris and afier
Scientists from Austria, Arun, Germany, Hunger,
aly, Japan, Russia, Scandinavia, Switerland &
Unie ‘States attended the congress. India alse
Farticipted Lord Kelvin, HA. Lorenz, vant Holl
Eh Adthenias were present
Chris ead their longest paper The New Radicectise
Substances” in the confess Troy tle) everthing
excopfthe snurecofenergy ofthe Becquer| rvs at
‘fae thon comapltely urknown, Caries them
Fatsedthequestion inti peper
‘Nhat ts the source of every caring from the
Becquerel rays? Does it ceme tram within the
adibactive bodies, or from outside. them?
Gravitational and electamagoetic. Fores (dae ta
‘Newien and Maxwell) were kro ht tise. ul we
Trad in idea about nuclear free. Marie, Tew yeas
safle in her Ist paper suggested ‘al a space i
Iaverved by rays. whieh can only he absorhod by
seria elements of righ atone weight ke Urania
& Thoriom, Te means. eversy” is rousht 10 the
Tadloaetive substances trem ouside Isic?
Rutherfaré in_January 189¥, suggested. that
rad oaetive omissions are mad op of at Teast
diferent kind oF rays, hota rays" and ‘alpha a!
Matame Cats, Pie Curie ald Honey Bocqistel
Concluded that Rutherford’ "soi particle? ate
entisal with Professor, Thomson's negatively
charged particles. By 1003, Rutherford ard Sod
finally. proved that radinartivity isa icleay
Dhenciienon.-topeiedupthe ereaornuciear physic,
Inisimerestng to note thar atthe beginning, Mariewas
non be.evet of adiencive lsinogrstich, Hwee
In-1906, she publishes pager which shows ‘st
PPojonium loses halos netiity after Mays
CCuries got an ofr i 1909 font he Univesity 0
Genova However, ‘hey desided "0 say in Frmce Te
the same year, Mavie deeame the fmt wostan inthe
faculty of tie Feole norinalesuperieue at Sevres.
‘was known as enutrs best prepay hoa! fr
‘women teachers. Piette got an offer to teack physics,
agation
Jor of Since Communion
35
PPP PPPS ERE EEE REESE eee
homisty and nataral story tothe medical sae at
Sorbonne. Thore was a post vacant fm mineralogy in
‘12. "Te wes refi el forthe second ine, Hewes 30
refined the membership of the “renel aexcemy a
Seienes. Paul Ensile Appel. a well known French
‘oathematicin weished tn se the rame nf Pierre C2
Inthe istof the LagionatHoncur. He wretea leer
Mare:
"ask von # use all your influence te make sore
Monsieur Cariedossnetseise,.”
Piosreadil plod donot dese wo be put onthe ist
Trdecoratin,
In June 1903, Mari deen her doctoral thesis, And
‘yes nese yeu, she go he Nobel Prize in Physics
fia her hushead Pere Une ard Henes Becguers
Fw niinstrs submited the work of Rateriond &
Soddy, Angstrom argued strongly, "Tr some work Be
sventken by or scent, ty nas nis de
hhorour for the fist discovery of tae phenomenon,
Mane Cri hecamethe fast weman to eosive s Nobel
ras. She rman the fst until ar daughter Tre
‘vont same prize in 1235. They vere reat sient
‘They were great tuchers iso, Piers wrote a letter >
the ohe Commitee
“wan othe gone from ourelessesat thissime nf year
‘wifi ineurring. great diffiuttios in exe teaching
‘hich seatustedious’ Simaty unbelievable!
‘The aanouncement mad> a mixed reaction. Some
people td press etpinded us nat forget hat seis
oma In ful ‘Ms. Cure is adevoved fellow Laborer
In erhusbands research an has ascoeiaed her name
twtnhiseiseovoriss, (Now York Here.)
Bione Curie was mtrodused in the academy of
sciences He wrotshistiendGicarges Gon
“ind that Taman it wither wanting to ae anal without
tie aeademy warting "0 have me. Madam was very
evlul-"Oht me, Lam enly a woman. Piere was aied,
‘ota second time, t cobfer the Legion of Honou
ere replied, do not fost the neo ofa decoration.
real lahortory”
in 1904, Pierre became prefessur of physits in
Shsbonne, Pierteand Mare were proviged witha lage
tourer,
‘Both other were suffering from riatonsiekres. In
16, Pierre vis filled in a strest accident. The
professorship was offered tp Marie acl she Boeame the
first woman professor at Sorbonne. She coutinued to
‘work og raditm ard islation of polorutn. It the
‘meantime, there secord daughter Live was orn on
ssembsr 61908
Marie as Leader of the Lab
“Thee were seven workers inthe laherony at the tin
fof expiry of Piere Cure. Within thee year, the
dumber became bwenty Tour. She ot firunsil
Gatnument from Whe University af Pars and Pasteur
Taste to bul a laberator. She proved frst ab
‘ery able mista or She was offered the Legion of
Horoue? bu, she relinec, 191K) she wale!
introduce her nate in the lrench academy of sconces,
{A215 years old lnstinte ef France. Madart Cure mas
deady © very promiacat member of Intemational
Roivim Standard Commitee and alsa" bad her
hhonourary membership from Swedish, Dts, Czcoh
and Palisa avadersies, The e wren conservative guy
sande righcwing ress were pnosin her membership
a she got deleted by a vote cl 60 i 85, Por the next
IP years, she never requested anyone lo present her
proper i he academy: ene, alter recewving her Nobel
Fre, o tsed tice bul ras reused. Marguerite
Perey, doctor stent of Murie Curie (iscov ster of
Trancium) became first woman meni of the
adomy in 1962. Sao ses working hard to make the
"Raut institut’ areal
Maula, for the firs time in the world, pot soeand
Nohel Prize in 1911 fin Femisry Ter she discovery of
Radium and Poleniur. She became seviusty 19
1911, was hospitalizad and operated in March 1912,
World War Tand Madame Curie
‘Wits amabile X-ray yehiele, she sete te vd
solelets i the sate Held Shoals donated her Nobel
Medals tor ticcause ofthe warafthe French peopl,
Madameas Institute Builder
Raulum Insiuste was built in “914, I 1925, she
Tnunded the Warsaw Fedium Insitute. She had also
acted a5 head af the famous Pastour instuie ad 3
‘dioneivtslnboratary inthe University of Pats
Her Last Days
‘She visited her motherland last in 1934, Aller few
‘months, she breathed her Tashan dth Toly 1934. fn 9
Sansc, shs sacrificed horse for the ease of seine
and human welfare. er working laboratory 8 1ow
transformed a Curie Muscam, Alter Eten Sad,
‘aie Curie i, ofall celebraved beings, the only ons
‘wham famehas neccorupted
36
This year is not only the ‘international Year of
Chernin’. It has heen declared as Year of Marie
Cie! hy wa countries Poland aad Fron Flement
swith aon number "96° 6 hnosin as (Caen "The
(Cre (Cit is the nit of magi. Maciel be
leverremenbered in aur mind, How eam one forget ter
Jmmsemarial werd, “I mostly think of what has to be
{dene and not of whathas beendene”Sheecautioned the
futurs genoration of seionsies by saying, “Seionee is
essontallyntemational, and ie only though lack oF
Iistvieal sense tha national qualtige bivve been
albedo”
Prot Syamal Chakrabarof Deparursn:of Chemisty, Liners of Ceuta ia nosd opua ssenee
Seite a the veep oF Salyer Hose Aaa ant Ral Paras fo his conta
Kiceclilenine
Pr pagation ©
References
a
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sc 58
Marie Curie ani the Science of Rasicactivity By
Ne Pca Ore skeeiy fee a
Taf By Sot Onion, Peres
TUTTRTTTT TT TR TTT TTT Terry errr yr ir tt
