As if it is important from what nation a person is who gifted humanity with a piece of art, an invention or scientific breakthrough. I wonder why people are so eager to associate their nation with the results of individuals. I never felt the urge or understood the reasoning.
First, it's just a precautionary measure. Every once in a while I have to remind my children that USA is not the only great country in the world. Other countries have also fought for their land, produced great artists and scientists and usually have quite an interesting history.
Second, putting my scientific hat on, if some country has much more/less scientists than another, then at least the fact should be noted and reflected upon.
Balanced, objective education system would have no problem learning kids exactly that, but in many places that's a pipe dream. And US is surprisingly, at least in some aspects, one of those places.
I disagree with the concept of "Other countries have produced great artists" though.
Assume the discussion about the difference or non-difference of the regime and the people here.
It's a component of tribalism (and neither inherently positive nor negative), probably deeply wired into humanity. It also happens around race, religion, politics and ideology broadly.
Why? Well, the answer is a mixed bag of positives and negatives. It's the same reason people obsess over celebrities (tabloids, fan groups, and so on). Their own lives are not very interesting, they lack/yearn for accomplishment, so they desperately seek to fill voids via the things they take an interest in, trying to grab hold of accomplishment elsewhere, slice off a tiny bit of that for themselves through distant association. It's why nations culturally revel in their historical accomplishments, even if they were 2,000 years ago. On the positive side, it probably helps create bonds between people socially, culturally, and is likely a requirement for the formation and sustainment of civilization (drawing pride from a thing, allocates self-interest in supporting/protecting the thing).
Therefore I believe it's right for people to pull pride from someone's else work through association. You (would) have no SpaceX without the US capitalist system.
When NASA or SpaceX does something, it's an accomplishment of the very people working there, then of the people who supported them and not least of all the humanity. It'a like winning a war. It's not only the people that fight in the front lines that matter. It's a whole system.
This article is associating the success of Marie Curie with the group of women that supported her directly. Nations are just large groups of people.
When an individual claims to have done everything on his own it reeks of narcissism. A lot of wealthy people never talk about the support they have received and claim their individuality to be the sole reason of success even when their wealth was built on the backs of millions.
But, I also think being proud of the country you're/belong to in isn't a bad thing either.
So fun stuff.
https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soubor:Marie_Curie_signature.s...
The nobel prize of 1903 refers to her as "Marie Curie, née Sklodowska", meaning that Sklodowska is her maid name but not her name after marriage in French.
The country didn't exist at the time, being partitioned between Prussia, Russia and Austria-Hungary. Poles didn't have much to say about the university admission policies of the Russian Empire, where she lived. She did, however, attend the so called Flying University [1], which was a higher education institution organized by Polish underground resistance.
Heck, she event has a SI unit named after her, the Curie.
2. The Curie isn't an SI unit, the Becquerel (Bq) is.
See https://web.archive.org/web/20170704193910/http://history.ai...
It was usually a death sentence, be it for uranium ore, brutality of the guards or inhumane conditions. Crimes varied, often political opponents of hardline communists (including less radical ones), or being in domestic/foreign resistance against nacism during WWII.
Quite a few folks who fought for allies ie pilots in Battle of Britain, went home as heroes and ended up there. Sad times
Yes, she did bring it back in her purse. As well she would keep a vial as a pocket toy to show off at parties (it ionizes the air and glows blue).
Her textbooks are still very radioactive.
https://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/the-nobel-gender-gap-i...
