In 1910, when the 44-year-old Marie Curie got up to go to class, the student Lang Zhiwan put her arm around her: "It's been 5 years, I don't want to wait any longer!" I'm going to marry you right away!" Marie Curie nodded expectantly in agreement. Who knows, a few days later, Langevin's wife frantically promoted Marie Curie's love letter to Langevin! Lang Zhiwan immediately jumped out to defend: "I don't know that woman at all!" ”
Few people in the history of science have left such a deep mark on the frontier of human knowledge as Marie Curie.
In 1903, a historic moment was celebrated in the scientific world, when the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Henri Becquerel and Curie for their pioneering work in the field of radioactive research.
However, Marie Curie's name was the only one left out of the original list of winners, and fortunately, Marie's husband, Pierre Curie, stood firmly on her side.
He pushed for Mary's name to be added to the list, insisting that their research was the result of a joint effort between the husband and wife.
Pierre's persistence was eventually recognized by the committee, and Marie Curie was able to share the honour with her husband and Becquerel.
This event was not only an affirmation of Mary's personal achievements, but also opened a path forward for later female scientists.
However, fate always seemed to test this brilliant scientist, and in 1906, a sudden tragedy completely changed the course of Mary's life.
Her beloved husband, Pierre, is tragically killed in an accident, leaving her alone to face the storms of life. Losing her closest companion and research partner, Mary's world lost its color overnight.
But Marie Curie was not crushed by grief, on the contrary, she regained her strength with amazing perseverance and courage. She took over her husband's teaching position at the Sorbonne and became the first female professor in the university's history.
At the same time, she shoulders the responsibility of raising her two young daughters, taking care of the family and continuing her scientific work. During these difficult years, science became a source of solace and strength for her.
However, fate always seemed unwilling to give the great scientist much tranquility, and in the years following her husband's death, Mary developed feelings for her student Paul Langevin.
This relationship was supposed to be a ray of sunshine in her heart after the loss of her beloved, but it turned into a storm because of Lang Yewan's married status.
When this relationship was exposed by Lang Zhiwan's wife, public opinion was in an uproar. French society has unleashed relentless criticism and attacks on the widow of Polish origin, and some have even asked her to leave France.
In the face of this storm of public opinion, Langevin chose to publicly deny his relationship with Mary, which undoubtedly dealt her a heavy blow. Mary once again felt the prejudice and injustice of society against women, especially women scientists.
But even in such difficult times, she still did not give up her scientific research career. Instead, she puts all her energy into her work, proving her worth with scientific achievements.
In 1914, when the First World War broke out and brought great disaster to the whole of Europe, she was well aware of the important role of X-ray technology in battlefield medicine, and decided to apply her scientific research to the noble cause of saving lives.
Marie organized a mobile X-ray convoy of 150 women to drive the vehicles, known as "Petit Curie", to the front.
On the battlefield, she and her team performed X-rays on countless wounded soldiers, helping doctors accurately locate shrapnel and fractures, greatly improving the efficiency of treatment.
Risking their personal safety, these brave women have carried out their mission in the most dangerous places, saving countless precious lives.
Marie Curie's wartime contributions earned him widespread praise and respect. Her story has inspired more women to pursue careers in science and social good.
However, this experience also laid a hidden danger for her health. Long-term exposure to high doses of radiation has undoubtedly caused irreversible damage to her body.
Despite this, Mary continued her scientific work tirelessly. Her efforts were finally reaffirmed in 1911 when she won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry independently, becoming the first scientist in history to win the Nobel Prize in two different fields.
This achievement is not only an acknowledgement of her personal talent, but also an inspiration to all female scientists.
However, behind the brilliant achievements was a sharp deterioration in health. Marie Curie died in 1934 after suffering from leukemia due to long-term exposure to radiation.
Her passing is a great loss to the scientific community, but her spirit and achievements will forever be etched on the monuments of human civilization.
Source: Science Network-2011-11-14-Marie Curie is the first master of teacher-student love?
