Curium is a synthetic element with the symbol Cm and atomic number 96. It was first discovered in 1944 by scientists Glenn T. Seaborg, Albert Ghiorso, and Emilio Segrè while they were working on the transuranium elements. Curium is a radioactive metal that belongs to the actinide series and is primarily used in scientific research and as a heat source in some space missions. Curium is produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons, and it has several isotopes, with curium-244 being the most stable. This element has applications in nuclear reactors and can also be used in certain types of nuclear batteries. Due to its radioactivity, handling curium requires special precautions to ensure safety.