RADIOACTIVE

1. RADIOACTIVE PRESENTATION 3

2. Pg. 326 • Youranswer. • Pg. 327 • 5. Fill in the plot breakdown for Part II Chapter 8 of Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout.

3. Exposition • What is the story’s background? What happens first? • Marie Curie has been without love for four years, grieving over the loss of her husband Pierre Curie. In the year 1910, Marie begins an intimate relationship with physicist Paul Langevin.

4. Rising Action • What leads up to the main problem or conflict? • Paul Langevin is a married man and his wife, Jeanne Langevin, is hysterical about Marie and Paul’s love affair. Jeanne takes care of their children, as well as the upkeep of their home.

5. Conflict • What is the main source of drama in the story? • Jeanne Langevin threatens to kill Marie Curie if she does not leave the country. Marie gives Paul instructions to break the marriage off; however, Paul continues both the marriage and the affair. Jeanne Langevin steals Paul and Marie’s love letters and threatens to make them public.

6. Climax • What happens when the problem or conflict reaches its high point? What is the turning point of the drama? • At the same time that Marie is awarded a second Nobel Prize, Jeanne publicly accuses Marie of having an affair with her husband, releasing the couple’s letters and demanding that Paul pay her money and give her custody of the children. French journalist GustaveTéry publicly slanders Marie Curie, and she is accused of a scandalous affair.

7. Falling Action • How is the problem or the climax solved? • Marie is advised to not attend the Nobel Prize ceremony by fellow scientists, but she goes to accept her award, claiming that her personal life has nothing to do with her scientifi c work. The Langevin trial takes place. Paul challenges GustaveTéry to a duel.

8. Resolution • How are things resolved? How do they end up? • Nobody is harmed or killed during the duel. Marie collects her Nobel Prize in Sweden. Jeanne is granted full custody of the children and Paul is granted visits and the role of guiding their education. Paul and Marie’s romance ends; however, they remain friends regarding scientific matters.

9. Pg. 328 • Š 1. Paul Langevin became Marie’s lover. Describe Langevin’s character in terms of his physical appearance, as well as his personality. • Langevin is described as a tall man with a prominent moustache. Langevin was well known and respected in the scientific community, particularly for his discoveries with ionized gases. He is portrayed as being renowned for his work and a brilliant mind.

10. 2. Who posed a serious threat to Marie and Paul’s relationship and their respective careers? Why? • Paul’s wife was against the affair, considering that she was still legally married to the man. She threatened to make their affair public if they did not stop seeing one another and threatened to kill Marie if she did not call off the affair.

11. 3. Why were the love letters between Marie and Paul valuable to Paul’s wife? • The love letters were physical proof that the affair was going on. Without the letters, the affair could just be hearsay and the jealous ramblings of a miserable wife, but these letters provided evidence of adultery.

12. 4. What was the purpose of the video-based surveillance system developed by Professor MongiAbidi? • The purpose of this video-based surveillance system was “to protect the nuclear weapons complex.” It was to ensure that the warhead equipment was under strict watch at all times and to enforce a high-level of security.

13. 5. What is the International Solvay Conference? Why did Marie attend? Who else attended? • The International Solvay Conference is a platform for the world’s most eminent scientists to gather and discuss complex scientific topics, such as “Radiation and the Quanta.” Marie Curie attended to discuss this very topic, as did Paul Langevin and Albert Einstein.

14. Š 6. How did the French media respond to the scandal that Mme. Langevin initiated? Who do the French papers sympathize with and why? • The media portrayed Marie Curie as a home wrecker and tramp, and Mme. Langevin was portrayed as the suffering wife who was devoted to family and moral values. Papers sympathized with Mme. Langevin, because she fulfilled society’s idea of a good and wholesome woman.

15. Š 7. Why did biochemist OlofHammarsten not want Mme. Curie to come to Stockholm to accept her prize? Do you believe his behavior to be fair or unfair and why? • OlofHammarsten felt that it would reflect badly on the Nobel committee to have someone at the ceremony who had committed adultery, particularly since royal company would be present. • Answers will vary for the second part of this question.

16. 8. Summarize Einstein’s advice to Marie in your own words. Do you consider his advice to be valuable and wise? Why or why not? • Your answer. • Š 9. How did Marie respond to the Swedes? What does this simple action tell us about her character? • Marie wrote to the Swedes stating that her private life had no place in her scientific work, which should be treated completely separately. Answers will vary for the second part of this question.

17. 10. What was the purpose of the Nevada Test Site? How do you think the Nevada Test Site affected the environment? • The Nevada Test site was used to test nuclear bombs by the United States as part of their atomic testing program. Between the years 1951 and 1992, approximately 1,000 bombs were detonated on United States soil. Answers will vary for the second part of this question.

18. 11. Why is it ironic that King Gustaf had an affair with a married man? • The Nobel committee was afraid of upsetting and offending the royal family with the presence of Marie Curie, because she was accused of having an affair with a married man, when it turned out that the King himself was having an affair with a married man, which was even more scandalous.