In this episode, we explore the extraordinary life of Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, a Polish-French physicist and chemist who fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe. Born in Warsaw under the Russian Empire, Marie overcame poverty and gender barriers to become the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields.

Join us as we trace her journey from the clandestine "Flying University" in Poland to her pioneering laboratory in Paris. We discuss her partnership with Pierre Curie, the coining of the term "radioactivity," and the discovery of the elements polonium and radium. Beyond her accolades, we delve into the personal cost of her genius, including the xenophobia and sexism she faced, the scandal of her affair with Paul Langevin, and her eventual death cau ...