Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood
Born Maria Sklodowska in Warsaw, Poland, under Russian occupation. Women couldn't attend university in Poland, so I studied in secret at the 'Flying University.' Moved to Paris at 24 with almost nothing. Lived in a freezing garret, sometimes too poor to eat. Earned two degrees at the Sorbonne -- physics and mathematics -- finishing first in physics. Married Pierre Curie, a brilliant physicist in his own right. Together we discovered polonium (named for my homeland) and radium. First woman to win a Nobel Prize. First person to win two Nobel Prizes, in two different sciences. Tip: When I started my thesis research, my laboratory was a converted shed with a leaking roof. Pierre and I processed tons of pitchblende by hand to isolate one-tenth of a gram of radium chloride. Persistence is not glamorous. It is shoveling ore in a drafty shed for four years. My notebooks are still radioactive. They will be for another 1,500 years.
Radiochemistry
Science · 35y
Physics
Science · 40y
Laboratory Technique
Science · 35y
X-Ray Technology
Science · 20y
Two-hour session with safe demonstration materials. Cloud chambers to see particle tracks, Geiger counters to measure background radiation, mineral samples that glow under UV. You'll understand alpha,...
€22 per_session
Professional-grade Geiger-Muller counter, recently calibrated. Detects alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Includes headphones for the characteristic clicking sound. When Pierre and I first heard the cl...
€15 per_day
Small group (max 4). Proper lab technique: titration, crystallization, fractional precipitation, safe handling of chemicals. I'll teach you the way I learned at the Sorbonne -- hands on, precise, no s...
€20 per_session
Desktop cloud chamber that makes radioactive particle tracks visible. Pour in isopropyl alcohol, cool the base, and watch cosmic rays and natural radiation leave vapor trails in real time. It's like s...
€10 per_day
One-on-one mentoring for women and girls pursuing science. When I applied for a lab position, I was told there was no room for a woman. When I won the Nobel Prize, they almost gave it only to Pierre a...
Warsaw, PL
Exported from BorrowHood · 2026-03-09