Irène Joliot-Curie
She, along with her husband Frédéric Joliot-Curie, discovered artificial radioactivity.
Most quoted
"We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium a benefit for humanity."
— from Biography
"We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like radium, a benefit for humanity."
— from Nobel Lecture, 'Artificial Production of Radioactive Elements', 1935
"Humanity needs practical men, who get the most out of their work, and, without forgetting the general good, safeguard their own interests. But humanity also needs dreamers, for whom the disinterested development of an enterprise is so captivating that it becomes impossible for them to devote their care to their own material profit."
— from Likely derived from Marie Curie
All quotes by Irène Joliot-Curie (405)
We must always be prepared to revise our theories in the light of new experimental evidence.
The collaboration between my husband and I has been essential to our success.
The applications of radioactive isotopes in biology and medicine are immense and are still being explored.
It is not the discovery of a new element that is important, but the discovery of a new method.
Science, like life, is a journey, not a destination.
The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.
One must have a good deal of imagination to be a good scientist.
I am not afraid of difficulties, for I know that they are only opportunities for growth.
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.
Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it.
I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident, they came by work.
The greatest discovery is to find oneself.
To be a scientist, you must be a bit of a dreamer.
The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.
I am among those who think that science has great beauty.
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.
We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium a benefit for humanity.
Contemporaries of Irène Joliot-Curie
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of Irène Joliot-Curie (1897–1956).