Marie Curie coined the term 'radioactivity', and it is to her and her husband, Pierre Curie, that we owe much of our current understanding of the very fabric of reality.
Born in Warsaw, Marie was the fifth and youngest child of teachers. Her father taught mathematics and science, for which she showed an early affinity, and she later went to study in Paris, where she met Pierre. The work they did together revolutionized modern science. As well as discovering the atomic rather than chemical nature of radioactivity, the Curies isolated two new elements: polonium and radium.
This biography does full justice to the scientific and human aspects of Marie's life, detailing her tumultuous personal history at a time of social upheaval, and her struggle to gain recognition in an era when female scientists were almost unknown.
Marie Curie died in 1934, succumbing to aplastic anaemia that may have stemmed from her scientific investigations. Her work not only contributed to our understanding of the structure of the atom - and therefore the structure of the physical world itself - but also laid the foundations for modern medical innovations such as radiotherapy. Her example continues to inspire millions of people across the world.
By:
Richard Gunderman
Imprint: WELBECK
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 240mm,
Width: 186mm,
Spine: 18mm
Weight: 740g
ISBN: 9780233006178
ISBN 10: 0233006176
Pages: 160
Publication Date: 05 January 2021
Audience:
General/trade
,
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
ELT Advanced
,
Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
"1867 - Poland and Marie's family 1883 - Marie's education and plans with Bronya 1886 - Governess with the Zorawskis first love and broken heart 1891 - Marie's studies at the University of Paris 1893 - Marie's academic performance 1894 - Pierre Curie 1895 - The Curies marry 1895 - Roentgen's discovery of the x-ray 1896 - Henri Becquerel 1897 - The Curies as scientists 1897 - Birth of their first child, Irene 1898 - The introduction of ""radioactivity"" 1898 - Discoveries of Polonium and Radium 1903 - Marie and Pierre win Nobel Prize in Physics 1904 - Birth of their second child, Eve 1906 - Death of Pierre 1906 - Dark days 1910 - Affair with Paul Langevin 1911 - Marie wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1914 - Radium Institute 1914 - ""Petite Curies,"" mobile military x-ray units 1921 - Visit to US to raise money for research 1934 - Death of Marie 1935 - Irene and Frederic Joliot-Curie win Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1934 - Appraisals of Marie's life and work 1995 - Remains moved to Pantheon 2019 - Marie's legacy."
Dr Richard Gunderman is John A. Campbell Professor of Radiology at Indiana University, US. He is the author of ten books, including the bestselling Tesla: The Man, the Inventor, and the Age of Electricity.
