Quote:
Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan
Pierre and Marie Curie.
Literally unlocked the atomic age with their research on radioactive materials. Unfortunately, they didn't understand what radiation poisoning was and both died relatively young.
Oddly enough, Pierre Curie was killed in a road accident at just 47, even though he had shown early signs of radiation sickness. Marie Curie had a short illness of pernicious anemia (radiation sickness) and died at 66. Multiple Nobel awards for their work.
Honorable mention to Henri Becquerel for his contributions.
Marie Curie is especially amazing given that women scientists were exceedingly rare until the mid 20th century.
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She was my first thought, when I saw the thread, but 66 isn't young - at least it wasn't then. And she lived long enough to have made enormous contributions to science.