Once the war was over, Joliot-Curie earned her PhD in natural sciences, researching alpha rays in polonium. Irène was only eighteen at the time, but she seemed to show great confidence working independently from her mother 1 (p.117-118). Her studies were interrupted by the First World War, throughout which she worked with her mother, who had developed X-ray mobile units to help the injured on the battlefields. Therefore, her mother set up a private group with some of the most distinguished academics and scientists in France to provide classes at home for each another’s children 1 (p.123).Īfter two years of home-schooling, Joliot-Curie finished her secondary education at the Collège Sévigné in Paris, and subsequently entered the Sorbonne to study science. Although she was still very young when her parents made the discovery that changed the fields of physics, chemistry, and medicine forever, it was not a surprise when she started showing interest in science and a great mathematical talent. Both her parents served as grandiose inspiration for Irène’s path, especially her mother, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win in multiple disciplines.
Growing up, she had the privilege of seeing her mother win two Nobel Prizes, the first in 1903, along with her husband, and the latter in 1911. Just like her parents, Irène Joliot-Curie chose not to patent her discovery, recognising its importance and the potential that it had to offer.īorn on 12 September 1897 in Paris, Irène Curie was mostly known as the older of the two daughters of famous scientists Pierre and Marie Curie. The transformation of naturally stable elements into artificial radioactive ones opened the door to endless subsequent research in medicine, chemistry, and biology 2 (p.50).įor a brief moment had achieved the ancient alchemist’s dream, transmutation –changing one chemical element, aluminium, into another, phosphorous, then into silicon 2 (p.49). The most significant scientific achievement of this dyad was the discovery of artificial radioactivity. They produced experimental evidence of positrons and neutrons, although they failed to understand it 1 (p.133-134). Together with her husband Frédéric, Irène Joliot-Curie undertook several revolutionary experiments, which contributed to significant discoveries.
KEYWORDS: Artificial radioactivity, Nuclear chemistry, X-ray, Polonium, Alpha rays, Frédéric JoliotĪ scientist who often found herself in the shadow of her parents, Marie and Pierre Curie, Irène Joliot-Curie earned all her awards and prizes because of her exceptional work and historically important research on radioactivity.
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