Marie Curie, Lecture at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York (May 14, 1921)
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We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium a benefit for humanity.
— Marie Curie on History of chemistry
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "We must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium a benefit for humanity." in the context of "Marie Curie, Lecture at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York (May 14, 1921)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "History of chemistry" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Marie Curie
Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie, was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields. Her husband, Pierre Curie, was a co-winner of her first Nobel Prize (the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics), making them the first married couple to win the Nobel Prize and launching the Curie family legacy of five Nobel Prizes.
About Marie Curie
Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie, was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields. Her husband, Pierre Curie, was a co-winner of her first Nobel Prize (the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics), making them the first married couple to win the Nobel Prize and launching the Curie family legacy of five Nobel Prizes.
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