The term 'CURIE' is a reference to the famous family of scientists, Irene, Marie, and Pierre CURIE. Irene and Marie were the first female recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry, respectively, while Pierre was the recipient of the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics. The Curies are credited with the discovery of radium and polonium, and their research into radioactivity has had a lasting impact on the field of science.