MARIE CURIE. FOR THE BENEFIT OF MAN

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MARIE CURIE AND THE DISCOVERY OF RADIUM
Marie Curie was born in Warsaw on November 7, 1867. Her father was a teacher of science1 and mathematics in a school, and it was from him that little Marya Sklodovska (her Polish name) learned her first lesson in science.
In 1891 she went to Paris to continue her studies at the Sorbonne.2 She determined to work for two Master's3 degrees — one in physics, the other in mathematics. Yet she had scarcely enough money to live on. She studied night after night after her hard day's work at the University. She chose her course and nothing could turn her from it.
Among the many scientists with whom Marya met and worked in Paris was Pierre Curie. When he met Marya he was 35 years old and was famous throughout Europe for his discoveries in magnetism.

Pierre Curie and Marya, both of whom loved science more than anything else very soon became the closest friends. After a little more than a year Marya became Madame Curie.
At that time she had already her Master's degree in physics and mathematics and was busy in researches on steel. She wished to obtain a Doctor’s degree. Pierre and Marie Curie were greatly interested in the work of the French scientist Becquerel.4 There is a rare metal uranium which, as Becquerel discovered, emits rays very much like X-rays.5 The Curies wanted to discover the mystery of the rays of uranium. What caused them? How strong were they?
The research was carried out under great difficulties. Marie Curie had to use an old storeroom at the University as her laboratory. There was no proper apparatus and very little space for research work. But she had to make the best of it.


Besides uranium Marie Curie began to examine every known chemical substance. She repeated her experiments time after time and found that one mineral emitted much more powerful rays than uranium. So she could only decide that this mineral must contain some new element. It was a mystery. This seemed unthinkable. Scientists declared that every element was already known to them. However, all Marie's experiments proved that the mineral contained some new and unknown element. There was no other explanation for the powerful rays, which it emitted. Scientists call the property to give out such rays "radioactivity", and Marie Curie decided to call the new element "radium".
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FOR THE BENEFIT OF MAN
For a number of years Russian geologists and geographers have been studying the geological history and life of the ocean and the structure of its floor. Many expeditions were sent on board "The Vityaz", "Michael Lomonosov", "Dmitry Mendeleyev", "Akademic Kurchatov" other ships to explore the Ocean.
These expeditions provided oceanographic description of different areas for fishing. They made geological discoveries. For example, Russian scientists studied in detail a powerful deep current along the equator named afterwards the Lomonosov Subsurface Counter-Current. Like a river 200-250 miles wide, it flows from South America to Africa. Russian expeditions took part in the research of the Kuroshio Current, which is a great climatic factor of the Pacific area. And besides it is abundant in biological products. The material that was collected is of great scientific importance.
The Indian Ocean was less known to men and now thanks to Russian scientists new maps of the ocean floor are drawn and new fishing areas are discovered. Russian oceanologists take part in international programmes for studying the World Ocean. They make research work in the Caribbean Sea and the adjacent areas of the Atlantic. The aim of this programme is to help the Caribbean Sea countries to learn more about their sea in order to make use of its food and mineral resources.
They also take part in the research work of atmospheric processes such as the laws of the general air circulation in the atmosphere. This study helps to improve long range weather forecasting.
On board our ships one can often see foreign scientists working together with their Russian colleagues on the problems of oceanology. These scientists are from Japan, the USA, Poland, France, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. Russian and French researchers maintain friendly contacts for years.
The results of Russian oceanographic expeditions are so great that it is simply impossible in a short article even to count them. All these investigations made by Russian scientists are for the benefit of man.