 |
 |
People
Pioneers
Curie Family
|
|
Pierre Curie (1859-1906), Marie Sklodowska-Curie (1867-1934). Family of French scientists. Pierre, born in France and his wife, Marie, chemist and physicist, born in Warsaw, are known for their work on radioactivity and on radium. The Curies' daughter Irene was also a scientist.
They spent much of their careers studying radioactivity (a term coined by Marie), examining the particles and energy produced as radioactive atoms decayed, and in the process learned about the building blocks of matter. They established that the heavy element thorium was radioactive and discovered two new elements: polonium and radium. They refined techniques for extracting radium from ores.
Marie won Nobel Prizes in both physics and chemistry for their work. Pierre failed to share in the second, simply because he was dead. Yet despite living in near poverty, they spent most of their money on further research and they were idealistic enough to refuse to patent any of their potentially lucrative discoveries.
Pierre was killed when he was run down by a horse-drawn carriage. Marie died of leukemia, almost certainly the result of a lifetime of exposure to high levels of radiation. Ironically, one of the enduring applications of their work has been in the treatment of cancer with radiation.
Marie Curie was one of the most prominent honorary members of the Hellenic Society For Psychical Research which was established by Angkelos Tanagras {Άγγελος Τανάγρας} [People].
Marie Sklodowska-Curie (1867-1934) - Pierre Curie (1859-1906)
04-23-2004