One of the Greatest Female Scientists - Marie Curie

The emission of greenhouse gases has become more and more concerning in recent years. Do you know that one of the zero-emission energy source alternatives is nuclear energy? Have you ever broken your arm and an X-ray diagnosis was needed? Do you know that some cancers are treated by radiotherapy? All of these have to do with Marie Curie, the mother of radiation.

Marie Curie was a Polish physicist and chemist born in 1867. In those days, women did not have the same opportunities as men. After her high school graduation, she wanted to enroll in a university but she could not as she was a woman. Eventually she ended up studying in the underground Flying University. She later continued her studies at the university of Paris and embarked her scientific research career.

Marie Curie decided to research uranium rays after relevant discoveries were made by Wilhelm Roentgen and Henri Becquerel. She used an electrometer developed by her husband and brother-in-law fifteen years ago to conduct her experiment. She discovered that uranium rays, no matter the condition or form of uranium, remained constant. This signified that the activity of uranium compounds depended only on the quantity of it. She hypothesized that those rays were from the atom itself. This hypothesis was important in disproving that atoms were indivisible. In July 1898, Marie Curie and her husband discovered a new element and named it Polonium, in honour of her motherland Poland. 5 months later, they discovered another element and named it Radium, from the Latin word “ray”. They also came up with the term “radioactivity”. These discoveries opened doors to understanding the structure of atoms, applications of radioactivity and uses of nuclear energy. For example, Marie Curie and her husband found out that when exposed to radium, diseased and tumour cells were destroyed quicker than healthy cells. This laid the foundation for procedures such as Brachytherapy which was used years later to treat cancer. The discovery of Radium also fostered a new industry, which was increasingly lucrative. Yet Marie Curie and her husband did not patent their discovery.

When World War 1 broke out, she halted all her scientific research and devoted her time and resources to help the cause. She bought war bonds with her Nobel Prize money and even tried to donate her gold Nobel Prize medal but was refused. During the war, it is best to treat wounded soldiers as soon as possible. However, X-ray machines then were only available at hospitals which were far from battlefields. After some quick research, she procured X-ray equipment, vehicles, and developed mobile radiography units, which were known as “Little Curies”. One of the technical difficulties faced was the electricity supply. She fitted a dynamo and made the petrol-powered car possible to provide required power. This vehicle made x-ray available on any part of the battlefield. Moreover, she successfully produced Radon gas syringes which were used to sterilize wounds. It is estimated that more than 1 million soldiers were treated with her x-ray units. She also set up France's first military radiology centre and trained other women as aides. Her work in the First World War began medical research which led to the use of X-Rays to detect and diagnose diseases in the human body.

Marie Curie is no doubt one of the greatest scientists of all time. Yet, her achievements were not always recognized. In 1903, Marie Curie, Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerelwere awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. At first, the committee wanted to honour only the men. It wasn’t until one of the committee members alerted Pierre to the situation, and Pierre complained, Marie’s name was added to the nomination. She became the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize. As a pioneer in radioactivity, who succeeded in isolating radium and defined an international standard for radioactive emissions, the Curie, she was rejected for membership by the French Academy of Sciences. Ironically, she received her second Nobel Prize in chemistry in the same year, becoming the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, in two fields each. It wouldn’t be her last time experiencing unfair treatment due to her gender. Despite her enormous contributions in World War I, she never received any formal recognition from the French government after the war.

In recent years, women’s empowerment has become prominent. Stories featuring women like Marie Curie are able to be read and heard by more and more people. Marie Curie might be the first woman with such achievements and successes, but she wouldn’t be the last. She would serve as a role model and aspiration for generations of young women.