Radioactive Substances

The pioneering scientist’s doctoral thesis on radioactivity that won her the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics.

In 1896, Antoine Henri Becquerel discovered the first evidence of radioactivity. Inspired by the physicist’s work, Marie Curie began investigating this phenomenon further with the help of her husband, Pierre. For four years, the couple researched various minerals and substances for radioactivity, a term she coined. In Radioactive Substances,Curie outlines with great detail her painstaking research and discoveries, which include the elements radium and polonium. Due to their breakthroughs, Marie and Pierre were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, the first of two for Marie.