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)
The discovery of artificial radioactivity was a testament to the power of collaborative research.
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.
I have been brought up to respect science, which is a great constructive force, but I have also been taught that science can become a great destructive force if it is not coupled with conscience.
The further the experiment is from theory, the closer it is to the Nobel Prize.
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.
The joy of understanding is a lasting joy.
There is no great discovery without a bold guess.
Science is essentially international; it is only through lack of the historical sense that national qualities have been attributed to it.
We cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individual.
All great discoveries are the result of thought and patient work, not of miraculous intuition.
The scientist must be free to ask any question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors.
Our work on artificial radioactivity opened a new field: the transformation of elements.
The production of new radioactive elements brings with it the possibility of new research in biology and medicine.
In science, we must be interested in things, not in persons.
Peace is the necessary condition for the progress of science and for the happiness of mankind.
Scientists have a responsibility to ensure their work is used for the good of humanity, not for its destruction.
The role of women in science is not a question of sex, but a question of intellect and perseverance.
Curiosity is the driving force behind all scientific research.
The atom, too, can be a source of energy; it is up to men to use it wisely.
In the laboratory, there is no difference between men and women; the only difference is in the quality of the work.
Contemporaries of Irène Joliot-Curie
Other Chemistrys born within 50 years of Irène Joliot-Curie (1897–1956).