Question
Read the following excerpt. It is adapted from a 1921 speech that Marie Curie, a physicist and chemist, delivered at Vassar College.
Now, the special interest of radium is in the intensity of its rays which is several million times greater than the uranium rays. And the effects of the rays make the radium so important. If we take a practical point of view, then the most important property of the rays is the production of physiological effects on the cells of the human organism. These effects may be used for the cure of several diseases. Good results have been obtained in many cases. What is considered particularly important is the treatment of cancer.
But we must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium a benefit for humanity.
>>> Based on the excerpt, what is the purpose of Marie Curie's speech?
*
1 point
to illustrate the importance on scientific inquiry for its own sake.
to explain the scientific properties and diverse uses of radium
to demonstrate the dangers and benefits of chemistry
Now, the special interest of radium is in the intensity of its rays which is several million times greater than the uranium rays. And the effects of the rays make the radium so important. If we take a practical point of view, then the most important property of the rays is the production of physiological effects on the cells of the human organism. These effects may be used for the cure of several diseases. Good results have been obtained in many cases. What is considered particularly important is the treatment of cancer.
But we must not forget that when radium was discovered no one knew that it would prove useful in hospitals. The work was one of pure science. And this is a proof that scientific work must not be considered from the point of view of the direct usefulness of it. It must be done for itself, for the beauty of science, and then there is always the chance that a scientific discovery may become like the radium a benefit for humanity.
>>> Based on the excerpt, what is the purpose of Marie Curie's speech?
*
1 point
to illustrate the importance on scientific inquiry for its own sake.
to explain the scientific properties and diverse uses of radium
to demonstrate the dangers and benefits of chemistry
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The purpose of Marie Curie's speech is to illustrate the importance of scientific inquiry for its own sake. She emphasizes that the discovery of radium was initially a pursuit of pure science, without consideration for its practical applications, highlighting that scientific work should be valued for its intrinsic beauty and curiosity.