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

By Winifred Conkling

Book Overview

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

In 1934, Ir ne 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. Curie shared a Nobel Prize with her husband for their work. But when she was nominated to the French Academy of Sciences, the academy denied her admission and voted to disqualify all women from membership. 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, in a nonfiction narrative that reads with the suspense of a thriller. Photographs and sidebars illuminate and clarify the science in the book.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1616206411
• ISBN13: 9781616206413
• Release Date: February 2018
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.9" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Amazing!!!

This book is an absolutely amazingly educational! Curie and Meitner were way beyond their time. This book is easy to read and gives a great understanding of the science that Curie and Meitner worked on. I loved that it added historical education beyond science. I'm a home school mom and my 6th & 4th grader will be reading it for the 24/25 school year. I even created questions to go along with the book. This one maybe a permanent book shelf book.