Marie Curie

"I have always been passionately interested in matters of the mind and spirit."

"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves."

"Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."

"Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas."

"Life for me has been exactly what I thought it would be, by and large. But only viewed from a distance, from the stage."

"I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy."

"All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child."

"The scientists only accept an objection when proved by facts."

"Radium has something to do with the relativity theory."

"I believe that scientific truth should be established through careful observation and rigorous testing, never through hasty conclusions."

"The public should know about science."

"If you are a scientist you believe that it is good to try to find out how the world works."

"I was always wondering whether I should devote myself to my family or to my scientific work. I have chosen science, and it remains my greatest passion."

"A scientist in his laboratory is not a mere technician: he is also a discoverer, explorer, an inspiration to those who will come after."

"My most brilliant discovery was my husband, Pierre."

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

"I have frequently been questioned, especially by women, of how I could reconcile family duties with scientific work. Well, it has not been easy."

"We should not be discouraged by the magnitude of the problems before us. Instead, we should be encouraged by the power of human ingenuity."

"I want to live my life, not discover it through the eyes of others."

"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement."

"In science, there is only physics; all the rest is stamp collecting."

"When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably."

"The development of physics and its present state is proof that it is possible to have full knowledge of the world, at least of physics."

"I have no dress except the one I wear every day. If you are to see me, you will have to come as I am."

"Life is wonderful if you are not afraid of it."

"I was a young girl with a passion for learning that could not be satisfied by the limited opportunities available to women in Poland."

"The chemical elements do not differ in their essence, but only in their modifications of the universal matter."

"I want nothing but the best for my daughters, and I wish for them the same scientific curiosity that has driven my life."

"Passion is required for any great work."