She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. The first person to win two. A scientific genius who discovered radium and changed medicine forever. But in 1911, Marie Curie became the most hated woman in France — not for her science, but for falling in love with the wrong man.

In this episode:

- How a private love letter ended up on the front page of every French newspaper

- Why the Nobel Committee almost banned Marie from accepting her second Nobel Prize

- The widow, the physicist, and the scandal that nearly destroyed both their careers

- What Albert Einstein wrote to Marie during her darkest moment

**Words to know:**

Affair (noun) - A romantic relationship between two people when at least one of them is married to someone else *Example: The scandal started when journalists discovered their affair.*

Widow (noun) - A woman whose husband has died *Example: Marie Curie became a widow in 1906 when Pierre died in a street accident.*

Scandal (noun) - An action or event that shocks people and damages someone's reputation *Example: The scandal made headlines across Europe.*

Reputation (noun) - The opinion that people have about how good or bad someone is *Example: Marie worked hard to rebuild her reputation after the scandal.*

Ban (verb) - To officially forbid someone from doing something *Example: The Nobel Committee wanted to ban her from the ceremony.*

Go deeper: - "Paul Langevin Marie Curie letters" - "Women scientists 1900s public opinion" - "Einstein letter Marie Curie 1911" Love this episode? Share it with a friend who needs to hear Marie Curie's full story — not just the textbook version.