Marie Curie was the first female scientist to win the Nobel Prize in Science and the first scientist to win the Nobel Prize in Science twice. Since the Curies discovered the radioactive element radium in 1897, articles and books praising them have never stopped for more than 80 years. It can be seen that the achievements she has established and the quality she possesses have deeply remained in the impression of future generations, becoming a A role model for scientists and young people to learn from.
Mary's diligence, studiousness and intelligence earned her the respect of Professor Lippmann. After receiving a master's degree in physics, she came to Professor Lippmann's laboratory and began her scientific research activities. It was here that she met the young physicist Pierre Curie (also translated as Pierre Curie, Pierre Curie).
The friendship between Marie and Pierre developed into love due to their similar interests and mutual admiration. They got married in 1895 and formed a happy, harmonious, like-minded family. Busy housework and a daughter born in 1897 did not hinder this couple who loved science. Especially Mary, as a mother and housewife, she always persisted in learning and scientific research.
In 1896, French physicist Becquerel discovered that a uranium salt could automatically emit a ray of unknown nature. This discovery aroused great interest from the Curies and this is an excellent field of research. In a closed and damp house that had been used as a storage room, Mary used extremely simple devices to start marching into this new field. In just a few weeks, she achieved promising results. She demonstrated that this astonishing radioactivity of uranium salts was directly proportional to the amount of uranium contained in the compound and was not affected by the condition of the compound or the external environment (light, temperature). She also believed that this unknowable radioactivity was a characteristic of an element. Does only uranium have this property? Following this line of thinking, she decided to examine all known chemicals. Through arduous and arduous surveys, she discovered that compounds of another element, thorium, could also automatically emit rays similar to uranium rays. From this, she was convinced that the radioactive phenomenon was not just a characteristic of uranium, but a natural phenomenon. . In this regard, she proposed to call this phenomenon radioactivity, and materials with this property such as uranium and thorium to be called radioactive substances.
Her investigation soon expanded from salts and oxides to all minerals. She tirelessly used the same method to study a large number of materials, and finally made a new discovery: the radioactivity intensity of some minerals is much greater than the radioactivity intensity produced simply by the uranium or thorium they contain. At first she was not sure about this measurement, but after repeated measurements ten or twenty times, she had to admit that it was a fact. This fact indicates that these minerals contain some unknown element that is much more radioactive than uranium and thorium. This is a very important and fascinating inference. Although some colleagues advised her to be cautious, she was convinced that her experiment was correct and determined to find this new element.
Marie's research work was so important that Pierre, who was not only her husband but also a comrade-in-arms, decided to temporarily stop his research on crystals and assist his wife in the joint search for this unknown element. Pierre's participation was undoubtedly a great encouragement and support for Mary. From then on, there were two minds and four hands busy in that humid laboratory. This collaborative effort lasted for eight years, until an accident claimed Pierre's life.
This unknown element exists in uranium pitch ore, but they did not expect that the content of this new element in the ore was only one part per million. They forgot about food and sleep, worked day and night, and followed the chemical analysis process to analyze various elements and their radioactivity contained in the ore. After several eliminations, they gradually learned that the unknown element that produced abnormal radioactivity was hidden in the two chemical parts of the ore. After unremitting efforts, in July 1898, they found a new element from one of the parts. Its chemical properties were similar to lead and its radioactivity was 400 times stronger than uranium. Pierre asked Marie to name this new element. She thought quietly for a while and replied: "Can we call it polonium?" Mary used this to commemorate the motherland she had never forgotten, the country that had been divided by Russia, Germany, and Austria on the world map at that time - Poland. In order to express her love for the motherland, Mary submitted her thesis to the Doctor of Science School at the same time. The manuscript of the paper was sent back to her motherland, so her paper was published in Paris and Warsaw at about the same time. Her achievements have brought pride and glory to the people of the motherland.
After the discovery of polonium, the Curies worked tirelessly to analyze the barium-containing part, which is 900 times more radioactive than pure uranium. After concentration and partial crystallization, a small amount of not very pure white powder was finally obtained in December of the same year. This white powder shone white in the dark, so the Curies named it radium, whose original Latin meaning is "radiation." The discovery of polonium and radium caused great uneasiness in the scientific community. Some physicists remain cautious and wait for further research results before expressing an opinion. Some chemists clearly stated that if the atomic weight cannot be measured, the existence of radium cannot be expressed. Show me radium and we will believe its existence. To extract pure radium or polonium from uranium ore and measure their atomic weights, this was obviously more difficult than extracting pure radium or polonium from uranium ore, which the Curies did not have complete and sufficient experimental equipment at that time, nor did they have the funds to purchase ore and sufficient experimental expenses. It is much more difficult to find polonium and radium in uranium ores. In order to overcome this difficulty, they ran around to seek help and support from relevant departments. Thanks to their efforts, Austria donated 1 ton of uranium ore residues. They borrowed a leaky shack from the School of Physics and Chemistry that was not even suitable for storing dead bodies, and began even more arduous work. This shack is as hot as an oven in summer, but is so cold that it freezes in winter. The unventilated environment forces them to conduct many refining operations in the open air in the yard. No worker was willing to work under such conditions, but the Curies struggled in this environment for four years.
In the past four years, no matter whether it was cold winter or scorching heat, heavy labor, and poisonous smoke, they never complained. The persistent pursuit of scientific careers turned hard work into the real joy of life. Their indomitable perseverance enabled them to finally extract radium from several tons of pitchblende slag in 1902, the 45th month after the discovery of radium. 0.1 g of pure radium chloride, and the atomic weight of radium was measured to be 225. The element radium exists, and those skeptical scientists have to bow their heads in front of the facts. Such a small amount of radium salt, this simple number, condenses the hard work of the Curies! At night, when they came to the shack and admired the flashing fluorescent radium chloride without turning on the lights, they were completely immersed in a happy and magical fantasy. Whenever Marie Curie recalled this period of her life, she thought it was "the most meaningful period of their lives as a couple."
Edit this paragraph in the face of money and honor
The Curies are a pair of great scientists who selflessly dedicate everything to the cause of science. However, the relevant French departments treat them The treatment given at work is unfair, and the response to their scientific research results is slow. It was the Swiss government that first recognized the talents of the Curies and proposed to assign them corresponding positions. In 1900, when Curies could only earn 500 francs a month and work in a laboratory lacking equipment, the University of Geneva in Switzerland He is willing to hire him to teach physics lectures with an annual salary of 10,000 francs and professor's treatment. But the Curies, who never considered money and treatment in order to extract pure radium, declined. Their first medal was given by the United Kingdom. Because they discovered new radioactive elements polonium and radium, they opened up a new field of radiochemistry. In 1903, the Royal Society invited the couple to give lectures in London and awarded the Royal Society the highest honor. ——Davey Medal. At the end of 1903, the Curies and Becquerel were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
With letters of appointment and honors coming one after another, the University of Paris in France awarded Marie Curie a doctorate in physics in 1903. In 1904, the Faculty of Science of the University of Paris opened a lecture for Pierre. In 1905, Pierre was elected as an academician of the French Academy of Sciences. The Curies, who only talked about dedication and not seeking success, did not care about these issues that they considered to be worthless. Along with the honor comes busy social activities and frequent interviews with reporters. Their work and life, as well as their daughter, became news and the talk of fashionable taverns. They feel annoyed and disturbed by this. What they need is silence and to continue working, not harassment. For this reason, they had to disguise themselves like refugees and hide in remote villages. When an American reporter came to them alertly, Mary told him frankly: "In science, we should pay attention to things, not people.
"When some technicians who wanted to establish the radium industry in the United States asked the Curies to apply for a patent for this invention, the couple made a decision after discussion: "We do not want to obtain material benefits from our discovery, so we will not obtain a patent license. , and will publish our research results without reservation, including the technology for producing radium. If anyone is interested in radium and asks us for guidance, we will introduce it in detail. This will be of great benefit to the development of the radium industry, which can develop freely in France and other countries and use its products Supplying applications to scholars and doctors who need radium. "Such a statement shows the selfless and broad-mindedness of the Curies. They regard their scientific research results as the common wealth of all mankind.
Edit this paragraph A heavy burden and a spirit of dedication
Between 1899 and 1904, the Curies published 32 academic papers, which reflected their contribution to the development of the new scientific field of radiology. While continuing to move forward, an unfortunate thing happened. On April 19, 1906, Pierre was walking home and crossing the road after attending a gathering of scientists. He was hit by a Mercedes-Benz carriage and lost his life on the spot. She lost her precious life. For Madame Curie, this blow was so heavy that she almost became a lifeless, lonely and pitiful woman. But for her love for science, Curie said during his lifetime: "No matter what happens. Even if a person becomes a soulless body, he should continue to work as usual. "Inspiring her. She bravely took over Curie's teaching position and became the first female professor at the University of Paris in France. When she gave her first lecture as a professor of physics, the audience packed the trapezoidal classroom , filled the corridors of the Faculty of Science, and even stood in the square of Solburn because they could not squeeze into the Faculty of Science. In addition to students, these audiences also included many social activists, journalists, artists and families who were strangers to Mary. Women. They came to attend the class, and more importantly, to pay tribute to this great woman.
On July 4, 1934, pernicious anemia, or leukemia, caused by long-term accumulation of radioactive substances in the body, finally died. Madame Curie lost her precious life. Although she passed away, her contribution to mankind and her noble character will always be remembered in people's hearts.
The world's recognition of Madame Curie. To a certain extent, it was influenced by the biography "Madame Curie" published by her second daughter in 1937. This book beautified Madame Curie's life and dealt with the twists and turns she encountered in her life. p>
American biographer Susan Quinn spent seven years publishing a new book: "Maria Curie: A Life" (Maria Curie: A Life), which collects The unpublished diaries and biographical information of family members and friends paint a more detailed and in-depth picture of her hard, bitter and struggling life.
In the history of world science, Mary Guy. Li is an eternal name. This great female scientist made outstanding contributions in the fields of physics and chemistry with her diligence and talent, and thus became the only person in two different disciplines. , the famous scientist who won the Nobel Prize twice. She met Pierre Curie, a teacher at the School of Physics and Chemistry, who was a very accomplished young scientist who had the same will to use science to benefit mankind. They married. After Marie got married, people respectfully called her Marie Curie. In 1896, Marie Curie completed the college graduate examination with first place. Research on the magnetism of steel. However, she was not satisfied with the results she had achieved, and decided to take the Ph.D. . When the research to isolate the new element began, they did not know any chemical properties of the new element. The only clue to find the new element was that it was highly radioactive and they created a new chemical analysis method. But they had no money, no real laboratory, and only some simple instruments they purchased or designed. For the sake of work efficiency, they carried out research separately. Mr. Curie experimented to determine the characteristics of radium; Mrs. Curie continued to refine it. Pure radium salt.
At the end of 1902, Marie Curie extracted one tenth of a gram of extremely pure radium chloride and accurately determined its atomic weight.
Since then the existence of radium has been confirmed. Radium is a natural radioactive substance that is extremely difficult to obtain. Its form is a shiny, white crystal like fine salt. Radium has a slightly bluish fluorescence, and it is this beautiful light blue fluorescence that blends into the A woman's beautiful life and unyielding faith. In spectral analysis, it is different from the spectral lines of any known element. Although radium is not the first radioactive element discovered by humans, it is the most radioactive element. Using its powerful radioactivity, many new properties of radiation can be further identified. to enable further practical application of many elements. Medical research has found that radium rays have very different effects on various cells and tissues. Those cells that reproduce quickly are quickly destroyed by radium irradiation. This discovery made radium a powerful tool in the treatment of cancer. Cancerous tumors are composed of cells that reproduce abnormally rapidly, and laser rays can damage them far more than the surrounding healthy tissue. This new treatment method was quickly developed in countries around the world. In the French Republic, radium therapy was called Curie therapy. The discovery of radium fundamentally changed the basic principles of physics and was of great significance in promoting the development of scientific theories and their practical applications.
Due to the amazing discoveries made by the Curies, they and Becquerel won the Nobel Prize in Physics in December 1903. The couple's scientific achievements are world-famous, but they extremely despise fame and fortune, and are most tired of boring social activities. They devoted everything to the cause of science without seeking any personal gain. After successfully refining radium, some people advised them to apply for patent rights from the government and monopolize the manufacturing of radium to make a fortune. Marie Curie said: "That goes against the spirit of science. Scientists' research results should be published publicly and should not be subject to any restrictions if others want to develop them." "Besides, radium is good for patients, and we should not use it to make profits." The Curies also gave away a large number of their Nobel Prizes to others.
In 1906, Mr. Curie unfortunately passed away in a car accident. Mrs. Curie suffered tremendous pain. She was determined to redouble her efforts to fulfill their common scientific ambitions. The University of Paris decided that Madame Curie would take over from Mr. Curie to teach physics courses. Marie Curie became the first female professor in the history of the famous University of Paris. When her couple isolated the first batch of radium salts, they began to study the various properties of radiation. Between 1889 and 1904 alone, they published 32 academic reports, recording their exploration of radiological science. In 1910, Marie Curie completed another book, "Monograph on Radioactivity". She also collaborated with others to successfully prepare radium metal. In 1911, Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. A female scientist won the world's highest science award twice in two different scientific fields in less than 10 years. This is a unique thing in the history of world science!
In 1914, the Institute of Radium Science was established in Paris, and Marie Curie served as the institute's research director. She continued to teach at the university and was engaged in research on radioactive elements. She was generous in spreading scientific knowledge to everyone who wanted to learn. She has been studying and working for 50 years since she was 16 years old. But she still didn't change her strict lifestyle. She has had a high degree of self-sacrifice since she was a child. In her early years, she was willing to work as a servant in other people's homes in order to support her sister's education. While studying in Paris, in order to save lamp oil and heating expenses, she studied in the library every night and did not leave until the library closed. The pitchblende required to extract pure radium was very expensive at the time. They saved bit by bit from their living expenses and bought 8 or 9 tons. After Mr. Curie passed away, Madame Curie bought thousands of tons. The radium, which was extracted with great pains and worth more than 1 million gold francs, was given free of charge to laboratories researching and treating cancer.
In 1932, the 65-year-old Marie Curie returned to her motherland to attend the opening ceremony of the "Warsaw Radium Institute". Madame Curie has been away from her motherland since her youth and went to France to study in France. But she never forgot her homeland. When she was a child, her native Poland was invaded and occupied by Tsarist Russia, and she hated the invaders very much. When the couple isolated a new element from the mineral, she named it polonium. This is because the root word for polonium is the same as the name of Poland. She used this to express her deep memory for her motherland, which was enslaved by Tsarist Russia.
On July 14, 1937, Madame Curie died of illness. She eventually died of pernicious anemia.
She created and developed radiation science throughout her life, and fearlessly studied highly radioactive substances for a long time, until she finally dedicated her life to this science. She transformed from a beautiful little girl, a dignified and resolute female scholar, to a figure in science textbooks. The new term "radiation" has become a new unit of measurement in physics, "Curie" has become a scientific law, and it has become an eternal milestone in the history of science. During her life, she won 10 prestigious prizes including the Nobel Prize, 16 medals from high-level international academic institutions, and more than 100 titles awarded by governments and scientific research institutions around the world. But she was as modest and cautious as ever. The great scientist Albert Einstein commented: "Of all the famous people I know, Marie Curie is the only one who is not overwhelmed by fame."
Edit this paragraph
p>Einstein's speech "In Memory of Marie Curie":
"When a noble figure like Marie Curie ends her life, we should not be satisfied with just remembering her. The contribution that the results of their work have made to mankind may be greater in terms of their moral character than in terms of pure intellectual achievements, and even the latter depends on the degree of character. , perhaps more than is often assumed.
“I was fortunate to have a noble and sincere friendship with Marie Curie for 20 years. My admiration for the greatness of her personality grew. Her strength, the purity of her will, her strict self-discipline, her objectivity, her impartial judgment—all of these are rarely concentrated in one person. She was aware at all times that she was a servant of society, and her extreme humility never left any room for complacency. Due to the harshness and unfairness of society, her mood is always depressed. This gave her a serious appearance that was easily misunderstood by those not close to her—a rare seriousness that could not be relieved by any artistic temperament. Once she realizes that a certain path is the right one, she sticks to it uncompromisingly and with extreme tenacity.
“The greatest scientific achievement of her life—demonstrating the existence of radioactive elements and isolating them—was achieved not only by bold intuition, but also by unimaginably extreme difficulties. Such difficulties are rare in the history of experimental science.
After graduating from high school, she worked as a tutor in the city and the countryside for 7 years, saving a little money for tuition. She came to Paris to study. At that time, there were very few female students in the university. This beautiful foreign woman with a high forehead, blue eyes, and slender figure soon became the center of discussion among male students in order to see her more or be lucky enough. They would talk to each other and often crowd in the corridor outside the classroom. Her girlfriend even had to use an umbrella handle to drive away these admirers, but she ignored the excitement. She arrived first every day and sat in the front row. , giving those pursuing eyes a ruthless back. She is always covered with a layer of frost armor, and her awe-inspiring appearance makes those "star-chasers" afraid to approach her. She originally lived in her sister's house, so she rented it alone in order to find peace. I lived in a small attic, ate only one meal a day, and studied hard day and night. When I couldn't sleep because of the cold, I would pull up a chair to get some warmth. , it is difficult for ordinary men to do it. Song Yu said that there was a beautiful woman who watched him on the wall for three years without being tempted. Four yuan is a day's ration. On the other side of the world, a Polish woman is so calm, so persistent, and so able to endure the cold. At the age of 25, she faces the waves of pursuers. She is not moved. As long as she relaxes her hand and turns her head, she will fall back into the soft embrace and the bubble of praise. But she has great ambitions and great aspirations. She knows that only by discovering the flower of creation can she bloom forever.
Edit this section to commemorate Marie Curie
Einstein
When a noble figure like Marie Curie ended her life. At this time, we should not be satisfied with just recalling the contributions that her work has made to mankind. The significance of first-class figures to the times and the historical process may be greater in terms of their moral character than in terms of pure intellectual achievements. The latter, too, they depend upon character to a far greater extent than is usually supposed.
I was lucky enough to have a noble and sincere friendship with Madame Curie for twenty years. I grew to admire the greatness of her personality. Her strength, the purity of her will, her strict self-discipline, her objectivity, her impartial judgment - all of these are rarely concentrated in one person. She was aware at all times that she was a public servant of society, and her extreme humility never left any room for complacency. Due to the harshness and inequality of society, her mood is always depressed. This gave her a serious appearance that was easily misunderstood by those who were not close to her - a rare seriousness that could not be relieved by any artistic temperament. Once she realizes that a certain path is the right one, she sticks to it uncompromisingly and with extreme tenacity.
The greatest scientific feat of her life - proving the existence of radioactive elements and isolating them - was achieved not only by bold intuition, but also by working at unimaginable extremes Enthusiasm and tenacity in working under difficult circumstances, such difficulties are rare in the history of experimental science.
As long as a small part of Marie Curie's moral strength and enthusiasm exists among European intellectuals, Europe will face a brighter future.
She won ten prizes, sixteen medals, 117 honorary titles, a Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and a Nobel Prize in Physics