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| titletext = Although not permanently.
 
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[[File:Marie_Curie_c1920.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5| Portrait of Marie Curie. (from Wikimedia Commons)]]
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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The comic begins with [[Ponytail]] stating that her teacher told her that if she worked hard (applied herself) she could be the next {{w|Marie Curie}}. But then a distorted {{w|zombie}} Marie Curie (drawn as zombie [[Hairbun]]) walks in and informs Ponytail that she is not the only influential woman scientist, and would wish people would get over her "as the only important female scientist". She then mentions two other important women in science.  
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{{incomplete|The current explanation is basically just a summary of the text, or even just tells you to read it again... Totally lacks discussing the two other female scientists mentioned, and is also very short on Marie. There is hardly any discussion of the life lessons mentioned. What are they?}}
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{{w|Marie Curie}} was a pioneering research scientist, most famous for her work with radiation. She died from {{w|aplastic anemia}} contracted from exposure to {{w|radiation}}, though the title text implies the radiation also helped her come back as {{w|Zombie}} Marie Curie.
  
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Marie Curie was a pioneering research scientist, most famous for her work with radiation, and in isolating {{w|Radium}}, and {{w|Polonium}}. She died from {{w|aplastic anemia}} contracted from exposure to {{w|radiation}} from the extremely radioactive isotopes of Radium and Polonium that she would carry around in her pockets. She ends up warning Ponytail against exposure to radium, stating that ''it kills you'', although as the title text points out, obviously not permanently as she came back as a zombie.
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The conversation between [[Ponytail]] and Marie refers to the fact that Marie is often singled out as the only significant female scientist. Marie points out that this is a poor version of the truth, for two reasons. Firstly, there have been many other significant female scientists, and secondly, Marie asserts that the most significant events in theoretical physics and mathematics do not arise because of an individuals desire for fame, but from passion for the subject and a great deal of dedication and hard work.
  
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The conversation between [[Ponytail]] and Zombie Marie Curie refers to the fact that Marie is often singled out as the only significant female scientist. Marie points out that this is a poor version of the truth, for two reasons. Firstly, there have been many other significant female scientists, and secondly, Marie asserts that the most significant events in {{w|theoretical physics}} and {{w|mathematics}} do not arise because of an individuals desire for fame, but from passion for the subject and a great deal of dedication and hard work.
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The comic gives examples of {{w|Lise Meitner}}, one of the major contributors in the discovery of nuclear fission, and {{w|Emmy Noether}}. Noether's Theorem is widely considered one of the most beautiful and significant theorems in abstract algebra, and its repercussions are still being widely explored to this day
  
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As examples of important women scientists the comic mentions {{w|Lise Meitner}} and {{w|Emmy Noether}}.
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Marie asserts at the end that Ponytail is not alone--perhaps in reference to the fact that, as mentioned, female scientists might be less likely to receive medals or other tokens of support and encouragement.
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Lise Meitner was one of the major contributors in the discovery of nuclear fission for which her male colleague {{w|Otto Hahn}} was awarded a {{w|Nobel Prize}} in 1944. In the process she proved that {{w|Enrico Fermi}} had made some wrong assumptions, but he also got a Nobel prize whereas she only got a {{w|National Press Club (United States)|National Women's Press Club}} award as "Woman of the Year" in 1946. As a somewhat late consolation, the element {{w|Meitnerium}} was named after her in 1997 almost 30 years after her death. (She is later mentioned again in [[1584: Moments of Inspiration]]).
 
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{{w|Noether's Theorem}} is widely considered one of the most beautiful and significant theorems used in physics, and its repercussions are still being widely explored to this day. She had to learn mathematics by taking {{w|Academic audit|auditing classes}} at {{w|University of Erlangen}} since she was [https://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/noether.htm refused the opportunity to take classes because she was a woman]. And later she had to teach without getting paid and under male colleagues' names, meaning that students would only take the course if they thought some "real" male teacher was guiding Emmy. Much later Emmy was referenced in the title text of [[2595: Advanced Techniques]].
 
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Marie asserts at the end that Ponytail is not alone, meaning that there are many important female scientists out there, and also many young women wanting to become scientists. But could also be a reference to the fact that, as mentioned, female scientists might be less likely to receive medals or other tokens of support and encouragement.
 
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Zombies are a [[:Category:Zombies|recurring theme]] in xkcd, particularly zombie scientists, which has also occurred twice before with {{w|Richard Feynman}} in [[397: Unscientific]] and {{w|Paul Erdős}} in [[599: Apocalypse]].
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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:[Ponytail is looking up at a picture on the wall showing Marie Curie with a white hair bun. She seems to be standing in front of a laboratory table with samples strewn over the surface. Her arms are in front of her like she is working with these samples. A voice comes from off-panel (and is revealed in the next panels to be Zombie Marie Curie.]
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:[Ponytail is looking at a picture of Marie Curie.]
 
:Ponytail: My teacher always told me that if I applied myself, I could become the next Marie Curie.
 
:Ponytail: My teacher always told me that if I applied myself, I could become the next Marie Curie.
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:Zombie Marie Curie (off-panel): You know, I wish they'd get over me.
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:Zombie Marie Curie (off-screen): You know, I wish they'd get over me.
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:[Inserted panel mainly inside the first panel, but extending a bit it, with a close up of Ponytail who turns her face around swiftly towards the zombie, as indicated by two speed lines curving around her head, even breaking the panels frame.]
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:[Inserted frame in the first panel with a close up of Ponytail who turns around.]
 
:Ponytail: Zombie Marie Curie!
 
:Ponytail: Zombie Marie Curie!
  
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:[Ponytail has turned towards Zombie Marie Curie, drawn as Hairbun, who is walking towards Ponytail in typical zombie fashion both arms stretched out, with a battered and weathered look Stuff is falling off behind her, presumably mainly earth from when she dug herself out of her grave, and she is leaving a trail of this behind her, and it keeps falling from both of her hands and her body.]
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:[Zombie Marie Curie is walking towards Ponytail.]
 
:Zombie Marie Curie: Not that I don't deserve it. These two Nobels ain't decorative. But I make a sorry role model if girls just see me over and over as the one token lady scientist.
 
:Zombie Marie Curie: Not that I don't deserve it. These two Nobels ain't decorative. But I make a sorry role model if girls just see me over and over as the one token lady scientist.
  
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:[Close up of Zombie Marie Curie holding a hand up. She clearly has two large pieces of earth stuck to her face, and her hair is in disarray even with the hair bun keeping it in place.]
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:[Close up of Zombie Marie Curie.]
 
:Zombie Marie Curie: Lise Meitner figured out that nuclear fission was happening, while her colleague Otto was staring blankly at their data in confusion, and proved Enrico Fermi wrong in the process. Enrico and Otto both got Nobel Prizes. Lise got a National Women's Press Club award.
 
:Zombie Marie Curie: Lise Meitner figured out that nuclear fission was happening, while her colleague Otto was staring blankly at their data in confusion, and proved Enrico Fermi wrong in the process. Enrico and Otto both got Nobel Prizes. Lise got a National Women's Press Club award.
 
:Zombie Marie Curie: They finally named an element after her, but not until 60 years later.
 
:Zombie Marie Curie: They finally named an element after her, but not until 60 years later.
  
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:[Zoom out to both Ponytail and Zombie Marie Curie both with their arms down.]
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:[Zoom out to both Ponytail and Zombie Marie Curie.]
 
:Zombie Marie Curie: Emmy Noether fought past her Victorian-era finishing-school upbringing, pursued mathematics by auditing classes, and, after finally getting a Ph.D, was permitted to teach only as an unpaid lecturer (often under male colleagues' names).
 
:Zombie Marie Curie: Emmy Noether fought past her Victorian-era finishing-school upbringing, pursued mathematics by auditing classes, and, after finally getting a Ph.D, was permitted to teach only as an unpaid lecturer (often under male colleagues' names).
 
:Ponytail: Was she as good as them?
 
:Ponytail: Was she as good as them?
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:Zombie Marie Curie: Also, avoid radium. Turns out it kills you.
 
:Zombie Marie Curie: Also, avoid radium. Turns out it kills you.
 
:Ponytail: I'll try.
 
:Ponytail: I'll try.
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==Trivia==
 
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*Marie Curie was later drawn in similar Hairbun style (but not with the zombie decay) in [[Thing Explainer]] in the article ''The pieces everything is made of'' (about the {{w|Periodic table}}), since she discovered two of the elements and had one element named after her, just like Lise Meitner.
 
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
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[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
 
[[Category:Zombies]]
 
[[Category:Zombies]]
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[[Category:Physics]]
 
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[[Category:Math]]
 
 
[[Category:Science]]
 
[[Category:Science]]

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