WELCOME

The first Solvay Conference took place in Brussels from October 30 to November 3, 1911. It was a meeting of leading physicists to discuss current problems in physics, particularly radiation theory and quantum mechanics. The conference was funded by Ernest Solvay, a Belgian industrialist. The conference is considered a turning point in physics, as it introduced the then-new ideas of quantum mechanics. Among the participants were Marie Curie, her then-admirer Paul Langevin, and Albert Einstein, who from this day on developed a deep, platonic friendship with Marie Curie.

[Solvay speaks]
It´s an honor and pleasure to welcome you all
to this gathering of the greatest minds,
who reflect and debate, and seek the hidden truth,
using research and science of all kinds.
The questions we face are really profound,
and the answers will alter our view
about life and about our reality itself,
at least, we may find something new.
May the light, that you cast upon these questions today,
outshine all the mysteries .... and show us the way.

The book "The Soul of Genius" is a vibrant dual biography spotlighting a triumph of friendship against adversity and a key moment in modern physics. It reveals how intellectual camaraderie, moral courage, and unwavering respect shaped two titans of science—Marie Curie and Albert Einstein—as they helped redefine our understanding of the universe.