Madame Curie Chapter Summary & Analysis - Part 2: Chapter 15 Summary

Part 2: Chapter 15 Summary

Despite the obstacles, the Curies publish 32 scientific communications between 1899 and 1904. The "greatest names in science" begin writing them for information and the study of radioactivity spreads to many other countries. Continuing their research, Marie discovers that radium expels helium gas every second, and that the helium gas transforms into another substance, with each substance destroying itself by half in a predictable amount of time (called its "period"). In making this discovery, Marie forces fundamental laws of physics to be re-examined, proving that the universe is not, composed of fixed substances, as was once thought.

Then Pierre discovers that radiation destroys diseased cells and that it can be used to treat tumors and to cure certain forms of cancer. The treatment is given the name Curie-therapy and leads to a "radium industry" in which radium becomes one of the most expensive substances in the world. Although the Curies...
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