Marie Curie

Author: Tian Zhansheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: When we talk about Marie Curie, the first thing that comes to mind is her outstanding contributions to science—her remarkable achievements in winning the Nobel Prize twice for successfully isolating radioactive elements. However, what the world admires and respects even more is her noble character: her great selflessness, humility, and simplicity; her tenacious and persistent spirit demonstrated in her scientific exploration. When evaluating Marie Curie's life, Einstein spoke with great excitement and deep respect: "When a person of such high stature as Marie Curie passes away, we are not merely content to recall her work and the contributions it made to humanity. The significance of a great figure for the times and the course of history, in terms of morality, may even surpass that of mere intellectual achievements. Even the latter depend on character to an extent far greater than is commonly believed. I am increasingly impressed by the greatness of her character. Her strength, her purity of will, her self-discipline, her objectivity, her impartiality—all these rare qualities are concentrated in her. Once she recognized a path as right, she pursued it uncompromisingly and with extraordinary perseverance. Her greatest scientific achievements in life were not only due to bold intuition but also to her fervent dedication to working under unimaginable extreme difficulties. Such difficulties are rare in the history of science. If only a small part of Marie Curie's moral strength and passion existed among European intellectuals, Europe would face a bright future. In a speech of nearly 600 words, Einstein used only a few dozen words to mention Marie Curie's scientific achievements, while the rest praised the power of her character. This shows that Marie Curie's noble character, like her outstanding scientific accomplishments, shines with an admirable brilliance in the history of human civilization."