Scientific pioneers Memes

Nothing says "welcome to statistical mechanics" quite like a casual mention of two pioneers who offed themselves after staring into the mathematical abyss. That highlighted passage is basically academic code for "this subject might drive you insane, but hey, at least you're warned!" The textbook author deserves a medal for the most brutally honest introduction in scientific literature. Studying entropy has never felt so... entropic for your mental state. The perfect gas might be ideal, but clearly the psychological state of those who master it isn't.

Marie Curie's inspirational quote about understanding rather than fearing the world sits ironically above two contrasting reactions to radiation. The blissfully ignorant cartoon character represents the public who thinks radiation is just cool superpowers, while the horrifying mutated face represents scientists who actually understand that Curie died from aplastic anemia caused by her own research. Nothing says "I understand radiation" quite like knowing it'll melt your bone marrow! The pioneers of nuclear science had such glowing personalities... mostly because they were literally glowing from radiation poisoning.