Big Idea: Curie And Radioactivity

Marie Curie's contribution to science won her two Nobel prizes. Her research into radioactivity made her one of the outstanding scientists of the twentieth century. Curie's work on radium furthered our understanding in nuclear physics and caused huge advances in the treatment of cancer. Yet the inherent dangers of her work were unknown. Curie died of leukemia as a result of years of exposure to radium.

Marie Curie has often been seen as an exceptional woman. Her life was upheld as an example to women fighting for recognition and independence. But Curie was far from being the worthy paragon history recalls. What of the public scandal caused by her love affair? And what of the Nobel prize committee's attempt to force Curie to give up her second award? 'Curie & Radioactivity' presents a brilliant snapshot of Curie's life and work. It gives a clear, accessible explanation of the meaning and importance of the discovery of radioactivity and the implications this has had for life in the twentieth century and beyond.

'The Big Idea' is a fascinating series of popular science books aimed at scientists and non-specialists alike. Science at its most exciting and gripping at moments of great discovery, and each of the books in the series looks in depth at the great moments that have advanced mankind's scientific knowledge and at the men and women who have made these huge breakthroughs in our thinking about the universe and our place in it.