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Zoe Chu

Prof. Baty

The Skillful Scribbler

December 5 2023

Marie Curie

Marie Curie is the first woman to receive two Nobel Prize. She achieved astounding feats

for a woman during her time. Born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1867, Marie’s life was influenced by a

modest family background and the challenging educational barriers that women faced. Her two

Nobel Prizes, awarded in physics in 1903 and chemistry in 1911, made her the first person to

receive Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields. Marie and her husband, Pierre Curie,

discovered the elements polonium and radium. While Marie Curie is known for her discoveries,

she had the exceptional character traits of determination, curiosity, and a deep passion for

learning which were all integral to her scientific contributions.

Marie Curie’s unwavering determination was the driving force behind her scientific

achievements. In a male-dominated scientific world, she faced numerous challenges. There were

often discriminatory attitudes towards women in her homeland. The University of Warsaw

refused to admit female students, which compelled her to relocate to France to pursue science

(Des Jardins Julie). She was not afraid to take risks and often put her own life in danger. Both

elements she discovered are extremely toxic. She worked in an X-ray room during WWI to save

millions of soldiers. Even though she knew the risks of radiation, she still worked hard in her

laboratory. Her death in 1934 was related to radiation exposure. Marie was devastated after the

sudden death of her husband in 1906, but never gave up on her work. Despite these obstacles,

Marie’s determination and perseverance enabled her to continue doing the work she loved
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(Calame, 2015).

Marie Curie’s unwavering curiosity and passion for science were the fundamentals to her

achievements later in life. Her discovery of radium and polonium reshaped the understanding of

atomic structures, and her research on radioactivity made the foundation for modern nuclear

physics and chemistry. Marie conducted experiments in challenging conditions and persevered

through multiple setbacks. Her curiosity and passion inspired her to continue studying physics

and chemistry.

Marie Curie’s love for the pursuit of knowledge was a defining characteristic that set her

apart. From a young age, she dedicated herself to learning, attending a secret school as a teenager

when educational opportunities for girls were limited (Marshall, Open Cultures). Her parents

helped nurture her intellectual growth. Marie’s passion for learning was not only in her youth,

but it continued throughout her life as she pursued higher education and conducted research. The

desire to learn was the main element of her character and played a central role in shaping her

future self.

While Marie Curie made some significant scientific discoveries, her unyielding

determination, unwavering curiosity, and passion for learning are what supported her. Her

determination propelled her through the difficulties she faced as a woman in science. Her

curiosity fueled her tireless research and her work in the field of radioactivity. Moreover, her

passion for learning, an aspect not found in everyone, became the motivation behind her

dedication to science and to her projects. Marie’s discovery of radiation helped invent the X-ray,

which has helped the medical community revolutionize diagnostics, allowing for imaging and

early detection of medical conditions, saving countless lives and improving patient care.
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Work Cited

Calame Kathryn. “Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie.” Journal of Clinical

Investigation, vol. 155, no. 5, 2005.

Des Jardins Julie. The Madame Curie Complex, “The Hidden History of Women in Science.”

October 2021. Baruch College. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/madame-

curies-passion-74183598/. Accessed November 3.

Marshall Colin. "Marie Curie Attended a Secret, Underground 'Flying University' When Women

Were Banned from Polish Universities." Open Culture, 21 July 2016.

https://www.openculture.com/2016/07/marie-curie-attended-a-secret-underground-flying-

university-when-poland-blocked-her-other-women-from-advancing-their-education.html.

Accessed November 27, 2023.

Michele Feder. “Marie Curie: Chemistry, Physics, and Radioactivity.”

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/big-history-project/stars-and-

elements/knowing-stars-elements/a/marie-curie. Accessed November 27, 2023.

Priyarshini Ghosh. “Marie Curie: The Women Who Used Radiation to Save a Million Lives.”

ANS News, https://www.ans.org/news/article-1892/marie-curie-the-woman-who-used-

radiation-to-save-a-million-lives/#:~:text=She%20often%20carried%20out%

20her,treat%20shrapnel%20in%20their%20bodies. Accessed November 7, 2023.