We thought it would be interesting to take a look at what a Researchfish submission would have looked like for famous scientists had computers, let alone Researchfish, been around when they were making their groundbreaking discoveries.
In the first of this series, where we loosely structure the scientist’s lifetime’s achievements around the 16 common outcome types reported via Researchfish, we take a look at Marie Curie who, amongst many things, coined the term, and developed the theory of, radioactivity.
“I am one of those who think like Nobel, that humanity will draw more good than evil from new discoveries.”
- Publications
- Between 1898 and 1902, I and my husband Pierre published, jointly or separately, a total of 32 scientific papers, including one that announced that, when exposed to radium, diseased, tumour-forming cells were destroyed faster than healthy cells:
- Curie, M.P.; Curie, Mme .P; Bémont, M.G. (26 December 1898). “sur une nouvelle substance fortement redio-active, contenue dans la pechblende”. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences (in French). Paris. 127: 1215–1217.
- “Scientific Notes and News”. Science. 25 (647): 839–840. 1907. Bibcode:1907Sci….25..839.. doi:10.1126/science.25.647.839. ISSN 0036-8075.
- P. Curie, Mme. P. Curie, and M. G. Bémont, Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, 1898 (26 December), vol. 127, pp. 1215-1217.
- Curie P, Curie M. Sur une substance nouvelle radio-active contenue dans la pechblende. C R Acad Sci Gen. 1898;127:175–8.
- Between 1898 and 1902, I and my husband Pierre published, jointly or separately, a total of 32 scientific papers, including one that announced that, when exposed to radium, diseased, tumour-forming cells were destroyed faster than healthy cells:
- Collaborations
- In 1903, with my husband Pierre and Henri Becquere, I received the Nobel Prize in Physics, “In recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint research on the radiation phenomena discovered by Professor Henri Becquerel.”
- Engagement activities
- I taught at the École Normale Supérieure to support my family – my research was not sponsored but I did receive subsidies from metallurgical and mining companies and from various organizations and governments.
- Influence on policy
- Where do I start? How long do you have?
- Research tools & methods
- Developed techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes.
- Conducted the World’s first studies into the treatment of neoplasms (cancerous tumours) using radioactive isotopes.
- Research databases & models
- Pardon?
- IP and licensing
- Coined the term, and developed the theory of, radioactivity.
- Nuclear reactors.
- Deep-space exploration.
- Entire field of medicine – radiology.
- Medical products & clinical trials
- I’m known as the mother of modern radiography – ever had an X-ray for that break or sprain? Or, hopefully not, received chemotherapy?
- Radiation therapy for shrinking and killing tumors.
- During World War 1 I developed mobile radiography units to provide X-ray services to field hospitals.
- Artistic & creative products
- I seeded popular culture of the 1980s by influencing the groundbreaking 1975 album Radioactivity by german synthesiser band Kraftwerk – the opening line on the album being “Radioactivity, discovered my Madame Curie.” Kraftwerk were cited by David Bowie as being the ‘fathers of modern synthesiser music’ upon the release of his 1980 ‘Scary Monsters (and super creeps)’ album that featured the track ‘Ashes-to-Ashes’ whose video featured none other than Steve Strange (Visage, ‘Fade to Grey’); Boy George (Culture Club) and Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet). The rest is history – a decade of bad haircuts and even worse dress sense – where did all those pirates come from? I await my applause, thanks, flowers and shoulder pads. One has to admit it was better than the 1970s.
- Software & technical products
- What is this? Never heard of it. Achieved all this without a computer, whatever that is.
- Spin outs
- I founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and in Warsaw – major centres of medical research today.
- Awards and recognition
- Just a few…
- 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics (First woman to win a Nobel Prize)
- 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (First woman and first person to win two Nobel Prizes)
- Davy Medal
- Elliott Cresson Medal
- John Scott Legacy Medal and Premium
- Willard Gibbs Award
- Matteucci Medal
- Benjamin Franklin Medal
- My 1898 publication with Pierre and our collaborator Gustave Bémont for our discovery of radium and polonium was honored by a Citation for Chemical Breakthrough Award from the Division of History of Chemistry of the American Chemical Society presented to the ESPCI Paris (Ecole supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la Ville de Paris) in 2015.
- In 1995, I became the first woman to be entombed on her own merits in the Panthéon, Paris.
- The element curium with atomic number 96 was named after myself and Pierre.
- The curie (symbol Ci), a unit of radioactivity, is named in honour of myself and Pierre.
- Just a few…
- Other outputs & knowledge
- I discovered Radium and Polonium. Yet, no one else in the world of physics noticed what I said in a sentence of one of my papers, describing how much greater were the activities of pitchblende and chalcolite than uranium itself. I repeat (when will someone listen!) – the fact is very remarkable, and leads to the belief that these minerals may contain elements that are much more active than uranium.
- Use of facilities & resources
- I didn’t even have a laboratory! Most of my research was carried out in a converted shed next to the School of Physics and Chemistry. The shed, formerly a medical school dissecting room, was poorly ventilated and not even waterproof. As you can imagine it is a bit smelly! I was unaware of the dangers of radiation exposure – hence I met my untimely death.