Drawing inspiration from Marie Curie

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “There is nothing in life that is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” These words of Nobel laureate Marie Curie reflect what she was and what others could undoubtedly emulate from the life of a great lady who adorns a venerable status in the ever-growing firmament of scientific experimentation. The exhibition held on the premises of the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum here on Thursday opened the life of Curie to the common man. Through the 50 frames put on display, the life and times of Madame Curie were presented in detail. Each frame was brimming with a message. Even while she had to wear the gown of a governess to seek money for her education at a tender age, Marie earmarked time to teach the children of poor peasants. As the World War I sent shock waves across Paris and several people fled to other places in fear, she valiantly drove a mobile X-ray unit ‘Little Curies’ to provide treatment to the victims of the dreadful war. Her dedicated hard work at the Austria government-sponsored Pitchblende mine even during the time of pregnancy and her remarkable victories in a male-dominated society attracted attention.  The exhibition witnessed a surge of students, who eagerly jotted down points from the frames to delve deeper into the life of the scientist they had learned from textbooks.While many found the exhibition a knowledge- enhancer as they added more to their academics, others found some inspirational elements. While Annie P, an eighth standard student of St Mary’s HSS, Vettucaud, was satisfied with the information, which would, “help us in doing project works,” Vishnu B, a prospective scientist who is now a ninth standard student of City School near PMG Junction, got “really inspired by the hardships suffered by Madame Curie to overcome obstacles and to take life as a challenge.” The frames spoke on why Curie rejected the pension for dependents allotted to her by the Sourborne University following the untimely demise of her husband Pierre Curie. The frames also conveyed that even though she achieved remarkable successes in a male- dominated society, she never celebrated them as the victory of femininity, as her outlook was, “women and men are equal in their potential intellectual capabilities.” Breakthrough Science Society organised the exhibition on the centenary of Madam Curie winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. According to G S Padmakumar, state coordinator of the society, “the exhibition is intended to inculcate an awareness among students on the remarkable determination, hard work and selection of right course of action possessed by Marie Curie.” Materials for the exhibition were mainly adopted from the biography on Marie Curie written by her younger daughter Eve Curie, ‘Madame Curie: A Biography’, and from the documentary on Marie Curie made by the Breakthrough Science Society some ten years back. The exhibition, inaugurated by Director of Kerala State Science and Technology Museum Arul Jerald Prakash, was on from 9.30 am to 4 pm.