10 Who Were Blinded (or Worse) by Science

Their work lead to big discoveries...and unfortunate death and injury
By Kate Rockwood,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 12, 2008 7:45 AM CDT
10 Who Were Blinded (or Worse) by Science
This 1925 file photo shows Professor Marie Curie working in her laboratory at the University of Paris.   (Getty Images)

Knowledge may be power, but finding that knowledge can get you killed. List Universe ranks the top scientists killed or injured by their experiments.

  1. Galileo Galilei: The “father of modern physics” refined the telescope by staring at the sun for hours, resulting in near-blindness.
  2. Michael Faraday: A nitrogen chloride explosion halted Faraday’s research of the electro-magnetic field and caused chronic suffering from his chemical poisoning.

  1. Marie Curie: The only scientist to receive Nobel prizes in both chemistry and physics, Curie performed lifelong research on radiation, which led to the leukemia that killed her.
  2. Sir Humphrey Davy: Though he discovered the anesthetic uses for nitrous oxide by constantly sniffing the gas, the habit poisoned Davy several times; he spent his last two decades in bed.
Click the link below for the complete list. (More science stories.)

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