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Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields. (Credit: Getty Images)
(ychef.files.bbci.co.uk)
Alternate Title
from: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230907-the-fear-of-a-nuclear-fire-that-would-consume-earth
Marie Curie's revelations about radioactivity in the early 1900s helped change the course of human history.
Comment
Scientific instruments in the 1900's are as inscrutable as the scientific instruments now. Definitely not your basic chemistry set.
Obligatory historical note: her full name was Maria Skłodowska-Curie. She was Polish and proud of it. The first element she discovered she named polonium in honor of her country (which had been broken up and annexed by Russia, Austria, and Prussia). Go to Poland and Poles will be sure to let you know. They view it as a matter of stolen intellectual valor, practically.
Stolen valor? Why? She was born Polish but adopted French nationality when she married Pierre Curie.
Furthermore, in France administrative papers, wife’s birth name are always mentioned. Marie Curie née Skłodowska.
Finally, not a single French ignores she was born Polish, and we got a huge community of Polish descendants in France.
Not trying to start an argument, friend. I was trying to relate my observation of how many Poles emphatically do not want Skłodowska-Curie’s Polish heritage to be overlooked or forgotten.
I think it comes down to her maiden name being omitted broadly in the public. For example, look at the title of the post—it is the French version of her name. I’m not laying any blame on OP, however. My science classes all the way through high school never gave her full, hyphenated surname. I had assumed she was French until I was taught otherwise by Poles.
I’m glad you already knew. Good on you!