Radioactive!: How Irene Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World

by Winifred Conkling

Overview

The fascinating, little-known story of how two brilliant female physicists’ groundbreaking discoveries led to the creation of the atomic bomb.

In 1934, though she couldn’t know it yet, Irene Curie, working with her husband and fellow scientist, Frederic Joliot, made a discovery that would change the world: artificial radioactivity. This breakthrough allowed scientists to modify elements and create new ones by altering the structure of atoms. Irene Curie, a Frenchwoman, shared a Nobel Prize with her husband for their work. But when she was nominated to the French Academy of Sciences, not only was she denied admission, the Academy also voted to disqualify all women from membership. Her exclusion from the academy marked Irene Curie’s gradual demotion to a footnote in the history of atomic science. Four years later, Curie’s breakthrough led physicist Lise Meitner to a brilliant leap of understanding that unlocked the secret of nuclear fission. Meitner’s unique insight was critical to the revolution in science that led to nuclear energy and the race to build the atom bomb, yet her achievement was left unrecognized by the Nobel committee in favor of that of her male colleague.

Radioactive presents the story of two women breaking ground in a male-dominated field, scientists still largely unknown despite their crucial contributions to cutting-edge research. Conkling delivers an important nonfiction narrative that reads with the urgency and suspense of an absorbing novel. The text is supplemented throughout by photographs and sidebars that explain in clear and concise language the science in the book.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781616204150
Publisher:	Algonquin Young Readers
Publication date:	01/05/2016
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	286,931
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	1160L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Winifred Conkling is the award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction for young readers, including Passenger on the Pearl: The True Story of Emily Edmonson’s Flight from Slavery and the middle-grade novel Sylvia and Aki, winner of the Jane Addams Children’s Literature Award and the Tomás Rivera Award. She studied journalism at Northwestern University and received an MFA in writing for children and young adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Table of Contents

Contents

Chapter 1: “The Most Beautiful Experiment in the World” 1
Chapter 2: Little Queen and the Other Baby 20
Chapter 3: On the Battlefields 35
Chapter 4: Dr. and Mrs. 46
Chapter 5: Right on Time 59
Chapter 6: Lost and Found 67
Chapter 7: A Lab of Her Own 80
Chapter 8: Radium: Treatment or Toxin? 91
Chapter 9: Heavy Metals 100
Chapter 10: Fleeing Hitler’s Germany 108
Chapter 11: Eureka! The Discovery of Fission 123
Chapter 12: Chain Reaction: Research on Fission Goes Global 135
Chapter 13: War 150
Chapter 14: Overlooked 169
Chapter 15: Afterword: Physicists, Pacifists, Realists 179
Time Line 191
Glossary 194
Who’s Who 198
Chapter Notes 202
Bibliography 212
For More Information 214
Web Resources 216
Acknowledgments 218
Index 219

Editorial Reviews

12/14/2015
In this thorough and clear dual biography, Conkling (Passenger on the Pearl) profiles two 20th-century scientists whose contributions facilitated the creation of the atomic bomb—to their horror. Though Lise Meitner (1878–1968) and Irène Curie (1897–1956) shared an idealistic and passionate devotion to physics, they were often rivals and never worked collaboratively. Austrian-born Meitner, highly regarded throughout the 1930s for her meticulous experiment designs, outright disputed early results presented by Curie, daughter of Pierre and Marie Curie, and her husband; her dismissal allowed the Curies to create the first manmade radioactive elements themselves, leading to a shared Nobel Prize in 1935. Only three years later, Meitner's explanation of nuclear fission set the stage for the atomic age. Both highly educated women struggled against chauvinist attitudes: Curie's efforts to join the French Academy of Science were repeatedly turned down, while Meitner never received a Nobel Prize despite 15 nominations. Conkling successfully redresses that lack of recognition here. A glossary, time line, and extensive "Who's Who" section provide additional context, along with explanatory sidebars and b&w photos. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

“With a great sense of storytelling, author Winifred Conkling introduces two physicists whose major discoveries also brought about more equality and anti-war awareness in the sciences . . . Radioactive! addresses serious topics like the advent of chemical and atomic warfare and the Nazi rise to power, and leaves biography buffs wanting to know more in the best way.” —BUST Magazine

“A thorough and engaging study of two female scientists worth their weight in radium.”—Booklist, starred review

“Luminous and fascinating, [Radioactive!] recounts the lives and amazing findings of chemist (and daughter of [Marie] Curie) Irène Joliot-Curie, codiscoverer of artificial radiation, and physicist Lise Meitner, codiscoverer of nuclear fission. This title would make a lovely companion to Steve Sheinkin’s Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon." —School Library Journal

“In this thorough and clear dual biography, Conkling (Passenger on the Pearl) profiles two 20th-century scientists whose contributions facilitated the creation of the atomic bomb—to their horror. Though Lise Meitner (1878–1968) and Irène Curie (1897–1956) shared an idealistic and passionate devotion to physics, they were often rivals and never worked collaboratively...Both highly educated women struggled against chauvinist attitudes: Curie's efforts to join the French Academy of Science were repeatedly turned down, while Meitner never received a Nobel Prize despite 15 nominations. Conkling successfully redresses that lack of recognition here. A glossary, time line, and extensive "Who's Who" section provide additional context, along with explanatory sidebars and b&w photos. ” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

While Irène Curie and Lise Meitner had very different childhoods, they both became interested in science. Readers will learn that Irène’s mother, Marie Curie, was a role model for both young women, whose lives became intertwined through their research. Conkling explores both their personal and professional lives. While following in her mother’s footsteps may have had its own issues, Irène’s ability to work in a laboratory was never questioned. Lise had a much more difficult time getting the acclaim she deserved. Nevertheless, Lise was the one who recognized and then published the findings on nuclear fission. Interspersed throughout the text are the scientific discoveries as well as the misinterpretation of results and data that surrounded radioactive research, beginning prior to World War I and ending after World War II, and the dropping of the atomic bomb. A glossary of scientific terms will help the reader understand the chemistry and physics presented here. There is also a listing of “Who’s Who” which helps one keep track of the various scientists. Irène’s work on the World War I battlefronts, the facile way the Curies handled radioactive material, Lise’s harrowing escape from Nazi Germany, and their hope that radioactivity would be used for the good of humanity rather than for war are all presented here. Conkling includes a lot of material in this fascinating story. She has attempted to make the scientific information as simple as possible. There is so much here for discussion: women scientists, discrimination, the scientific method and peer review, two world wars and discoveries that impacted both, the Radium Corporation and consumer and job safety, to name a few. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo; Ages 12 up.

Children's Literature - Sharon Salluzzo

This dual biography of physicists Irene Joliot-Curie and Lise Meitner explores the impact their individual discoveries had on the development of nuclear energy. These women were often denied recognition by their peers and largely forgotten because of their gender. Although Curie and her husband Frederic Joliot were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work with radiation in 1935, she was refused inclusion to the French Academy of Sciences. In 1944, Meitner’s contributions to the understanding of nuclear fission were ignored in favor of her longtime partner’s Otto Hahn. Curie and Meitner did not collaborate but were able to build off the other’s successes or failures. Using a conversational tone, the author has written a book about historical figures involved in complex science that remains accessible for readers without prior knowledge of these topics. The inclusion of original photographs and images, additional brief explanations of scientific concepts, and a timeline of significant events connected to subjects covered is an unexpected bonus. Teens looking for material to complete a research paper will be glad to find this easy-to-read, fact-filled resource. Reviewer: Stacey Hayman; Ages 11 to 18.

VOYA, April 2016 (Vol. 39, No. 1) - Stacey Hayman

11/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—The contributions of two overlooked female scientists are made clear in this enlightening read. Marie Curie, the mother of modern physics who discovered natural radiation, had no way of knowing as she began her experiments in 1897 that her groundbreaking work would set off a chain reaction leading to the creation of the first atomic bomb. Though that sounds ominous, this book is anything but a dreary march from the Curie Institute to nuclear war. Luminous and fascinating, it recounts the lives and amazing findings of chemist (and daughter of Curie) Irène Joliot-Curie, codiscoverer of artificial radiation, and physicist Lise Meitner, codiscoverer of nuclear fission. Traversing the vicious landscapes of World War I and II and beyond, Conkling thoroughly explains the scientific explorations of each woman while describing their struggles being taken seriously as scientists even after Marie Curie had blazed a bright trail. Archival photos and primary source quotes enhance the story. This title would make a lovely companion to Steve Sheinkin's Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (Flash Point, 2012) for its scientific and historical content. VERDICT This well-crafted work will undoubtedly inspire the right reader.—Abby Bussen, Cudahy Family Library, WI

School Library Journal

2015-09-16
"Radioactivity was the first new property of matter discovered since Sir Isaac Newton defined the law of gravity in 1686," and the work of Irène Curie and Lise Meitner in the early 20th century helped to open the door to modern physics. Irène Curie was the firstborn child of the world's " ‘First Family' of science." Lise Meitner was the daughter of a Jewish lawyer in Vienna and a victim of Hitler's anti-Semitic policies. Curie and Meitner, working independently, were research rivals, each seeking a name in the field of theoretical physics that was about to change the world. Conkling discusses the two scientists separately, Curie in the first several chapters, Meitner in the next several, and their stories come together in a final section when the race to create an atomic bomb was on. It's an uneasy blend of biographies, though astute readers will see that it's the science itself that links the stories, not a personal connection between Curie and Meitner. Readers interested in a more succinct and compelling look at Meitner's work on fission than what's presented here will find it in Steve Sheinkin's Bomb (2012). Flat writing and too many pages of dense text unrelieved by photographs or other visuals mar a volume that might have been suspenseful. An important if sometimes-awkward study of two scientists who helped to change the world. (timeline, glossary, who's who, chapter notes, bibliography, for more information, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews