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)
I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.
Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.
A scientist in his laboratory is not a mere technician: he is also a child confronting natural phenomena that impress him as though they were fairy tales.
The older I get, the more I realize that the only thing that truly matters is love.
I am one of those who think that science has great beauty. A scientist in his laboratory is not merely a technician: he is also a child confronting natural phenomena that impress him as though they were fairy tales.
The human race has always been fascinated by the unknown.
The most important thing is to never stop questioning.
I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.
The best way to predict the future is to create it.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.
The only constant in life is change.
Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.
The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.
The best revenge is massive success.
Contemporaries of Irène Joliot-Curie
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of Irène Joliot-Curie (1897–1956).