Marie Curie’s notebooks are still radioactive.
The mother of modern physics was known for her work with radioactive materials and the discovery of elements like polonium and radium. Unfortunately, Marie Curie’s research took a hefty toll on her health, leading to aplastic anemia, which caused her death.
The exposure to radioactivity didn’t just affect her, it also affected most of her belongings, including her clothes, furniture, and books. Now, more than a century later, her notebooks have to be stored in a lead box, as they are still radioactive (and will be for another 1,500 years!).