Feb 27 • 11:00 UTC 🇦🇷 Argentina Clarin (ES)

Marie Curie: the decision to store her notebooks in lead boxes for 1,500 years

Marie Curie's manuscripts are meticulously preserved in lead-lined boxes, with access strictly regulated even today, reflecting their ongoing significance in the scientific community.

Marie Curie's manuscripts, notes, and theories continue to influence science and inspire admiration among successors. Despite more than a century since her systematic studies on uranium radiation and nearly a century since her passing, accessing her original materials requires adherence to a strict protocol. This highlights the enduring impact of her work and the heightened care for historical scientific documents.

According to a report by the BBC, some of the most significant scientific documents, including Curie's, are stored in the basements of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. These documents are safeguarded in special lead-lined boxes that offer meticulous protection for such invaluable archives. The precautions reflect not just the importance of Curie's contributions to science but also the importance of preserving historical materials for future generations.

To consult these treasures, interested parties must don highly specialized hermetically sealed protective suits to ensure safety and compliance with established protocols. This level of restriction underscores both the physical hazards associated with the materials Curie studied, particularly radioactive substances, and the reverence with which her work is treated within the scientific community.

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