In Dava Sobel's latest book, "The Elements of Marie Curie," the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize finalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of "Galileo’s Daughter," chronicles the life and work of the most famous woman in the history of science. But she doesn’t stop there. Sobel also explores the untold stories of the many young women trained in Curie's laboratory who would go on to pursue scientific careers of their own.
Sobel approaches Curie from a unique angle, narrating her remarkable life of discovery and fame alongside the women who became her legacy — from France’s Marguerite Perey, who discovered the element francium, and Norway’s Ellen Gleditsch, to Marie Curie's elder daughter, Irène, winner of the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Curie traveled far and wide, despite constant illness, to share the secrets of radioactivity, a term she coined. And while her legacy is often remembered, less known are the women who helped her along the way.
New York City born and raised, Dava Sobel grew up within walking distance of the Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Gardens and attended the Bronx High School of Science. Sobel describes herself as a ‘lost soul’ during her college years. “Fortunately for me, no one around me thought it odd or ill-fated for a girl to be interested in science,” she says on her website. Sobel has spent her entire professional life writing, including two years as a staff reporter in the Science News department of The New York Times.
Lucky for Charlotte, she now calls the Queen City home. On this Charlotte Talks, we sit down with Sobel to discuss her life, career, and draw to scientist Marie Curie.
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Dava Sobel, author of "The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science"
