Read this passage from "marie curie and the discovery of radioactivity": to the austrian mine owners who had sent the pitchblende ore, it was just dirt. after all, they had already taken out the valuable part—the metallic element called uranium—and dumped what was left over in a nearby pine forest. if a pair of eccentric french scientists wanted them to scoop up the worthless stuff and ship it, the mine owners were happy to oblige. why might the author have included these details? a. to make clear that the curies were more impoverished than any of their peers in paris's scientific community b. to show that the curies' scientific efforts and instincts were not initially understood or appreciated by many people c. to demonstrate that even great scientists like the curies occasionally make very costly mistakes d. to suggest that the mine owners were dangerous individuals whose actions severely harmed the environment