And the innocent civilian bystanders that had no knowledge of what they were doing. Marie Curie is an example.
During her pioneering experiments, the dangers of radiation were largely unknown. Curie routinely carried vials of radioactive isotopes in her pockets and handled them with her bare hands. Because of the radioactive residue on her body, Marie Curie was interred in a lead-lined coffin. In 1995, her remains were relocated and entombed in the Panthéon in Paris, France’s national mausoleum, where she rests alongside other French luminaries. Because these materials have extremely long half-lives, this heavy exposure permanently contaminated her personal belongings. Her laboratory notebooks, recipes, and even her cookbooks remain so radioactive that they are still stored in lead-lined boxes at the French National Library, requiring protective gear to be handled. She was hot in the worst kind of way.
wy69
“alongside other French luminaries” although in her case, the luminary term is literal. 😁
Well done!
You beat me to the story about the Curies!