Marie Curie in WW I with Doughnuts
October 13, 2017 4:26 PM   Subscribe

Curie built traveling x-ray vehicles for battlefield use. She had been told to take a break from radium for her health's sake, and she did. During the break, she designed and had built these traveling x-ray vehicles to take triage and diagnoses to the front line. Meanwhile, to help morale, the Doughnut Dollies were making and handing out hot fresh doughnuts to the troops. doughnut heroines
posted by MovableBookLady (16 comments total) 16 users marked this as a favorite
 
Marie Curie in WW I with Doughnuts

Can't tell if new Clue version or discarded Beatles song title.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:41 PM on October 13, 2017 [33 favorites]


I am so adding Curie to my team of time-traveling scientist soldiers. Let's see the Khan try and fight Curie's and Tesla's Nuclear Tesla Guns.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 4:44 PM on October 13, 2017 [3 favorites]


I am so adding Curie to my team of time-traveling scientist soldiers.

ARCHIMEDES: The Bernoulis are all pinned down! My death-ray can't collate your electromagnetic emissions with the precision we need to sweep the enemy off the field!

GRACE HOPPER: On it. Ada and Nikola have the math down, and I have the algorithm, compiling now. Woz is plugging The Archimedes Weapon (Solar Or Mangnetic-electric) Energy into the Raspberry Pi, Leonardo, help him mounting those servos!

WOZ: Done! I have the AW(SOM)E configured on the universal remote! Missus Curie, would you do the honors?
posted by Slap*Happy at 5:12 PM on October 13, 2017 [10 favorites]


So did Marie Curie X-ray the doughnuts, or...?
posted by qntm at 5:31 PM on October 13, 2017


It sounds like an obscure football play. "Curie X-ray doughnut left, on three. Break!"
posted by Sphinx at 5:49 PM on October 13, 2017 [1 favorite]


I would like to subscribe to your time-traveling scientist role-playing-game podcast, please.
posted by MrVisible at 5:50 PM on October 13, 2017 [4 favorites]


Marie Curie in WW I with Doughnuts

Can't tell if new Clue version or discarded Beatles song title.


Clearly translated from the Tamarian.
posted by Daily Alice at 6:23 PM on October 13, 2017 [5 favorites]


So did Marie Curie X-ray the doughnuts, or...?

I assume that’s how they were served hot.

During the subsequent world war, my great-uncle was stationed in the UK at a radar installation watching across the Channel for Luftwaffe bombers. Radar was a brand new, secret, faintly magical technology at the time and many of his crewmates were pleased to discover that on frosty February mornings, they could warm up by standing in front of the radar arrays. My great-uncle distrusted the arrangement and settled for drinking a cup of tea and layering up instead.

As he tells it, no one else in his crew had kids after the war.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:35 PM on October 13, 2017 [5 favorites]


Marie Curie in WW I with Doughnuts

Can't tell if new Clue version or discarded Beatles song title.

Clearly translated from the Tamarian.
Egg Man, when the Walrus goo goo goo joobed.
posted by lumensimus at 10:02 PM on October 13, 2017 [1 favorite]


...and if you've ever had a walrus goo goo goo joob on your egg, man, you know what a mess that can be to clean up...
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:46 PM on October 13, 2017


I assume that’s how they were served hot.

My inner spectroscopist winces.
posted by bonehead at 5:26 AM on October 14, 2017


She had been told to take a break from radium for her health's sake

Meanwhile the Radium Girls were being told to shape their brushes with their lips to make for a finer point.
posted by tommasz at 5:48 AM on October 14, 2017 [3 favorites]


I mean, she did die of radiation poisoning, so it's not like she didn't sacrifice enough for the amazing research and science she gave the world.
posted by ChuraChura at 6:00 AM on October 14, 2017 [3 favorites]


I've been researching WWI for years, and still keep coming across fascinating stories like this.

Sometimes WWI feels like the first science fiction war, at least for Europeans.
posted by doctornemo at 7:00 AM on October 14, 2017 [3 favorites]


This was interesting. Also, it prompts me to post a link to a nearly unrelated case of wartime charity donuts.

As someone who despises war, patriotism, the Salvation Army, and donuts . . . cultivating empathy with the people in these stories is a challenging but useful exercise.
posted by eotvos at 7:56 AM on October 14, 2017


For Curie, the war started in early 1914, as German troops headed toward her hometown of Paris.

Adopted hometown. Marie Sklodowska Curie was born and raised in Warsaw.
posted by skoosh at 10:45 AM on October 14, 2017 [2 favorites]


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