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Element 118 Created

BuzzSkyline writes, "The heaviest element yet, Element 118, has been created in Dubna, Russia by a collaboration of researchers from Russia's Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US. They created the new element by fusing together Californium (element 98) and Calcium atoms. The achievement comes five years after the scandal-plagued retraction of an earlier claim, which was based on fabricated data, that three atoms of element 118 had been produced at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. The achievement was reported on October 9 in the journal Physical Review C (subscription needed to read more than the abstract)."

13 of 244 comments (clear)

  1. Not Politically Correct by civman2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Guys, you can't just tell an element as young as element 118 it's heavy. You'll crush its self esteem. I think the proper term these days is "in danger of becoming overweight".

  2. Re:A ways to go before element 137 by CUatTHEFINISH · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, no... That entry is wrong. There's always ludicrous speed. "Oh no, the electron has just gone... plaid!"

  3. And now the fun begins by The+Bungi · · Score: 5, Funny
    Any ideas as to what this one will be called? Probably something with pop culture appeal? My votes:
    • Googlium (now with proton-sized ads!)
    • Podcastium
    • Blogium
    • Britneyspearsium
    • Vistanium
    • Thisisthelastoneweswearium
    • Kimilsungium (dammit, is that radioactive!?)

    I sure hope they name it something nice though. "Ununoctium", "Kurchatovium" and "Hassium" don't exactly roll off the tongue. No pun intended...

    Okay... back to work.

    1. Re:And now the fun begins by RealGrouchy · · Score: 5, Funny

      If the name will be auctioned off, it will be named GoldenPalace.comium.

      If the name will be put to a vote, it will be named Stevium Colbertium.

      and finally, if it's left up to the Republicans, it will be named Reaganium

      (well, actually, it would be called Reaganium-VI, because by the time element 118 is named, five other elements will have already been renamed after Reagan. Including Oxygen.).

      - RG>

      --
      Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
  4. Re:Big deal by TobyRush · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have ten pounds of Element 119 right here...

    Dude, for the last time, that's not Element 119. They're called "CornNuts." And they don't give you, or anyone else, "special powers."

    --
    Sam! If you will let me be,
    I will try them.
    You will see.
  5. Re:Um... so? by belg4mit · · Score: 5, Informative

    118 Is supposed to be the first element of the Magic Island of Stability, doubly magic even.
    Most man-made elements (Plutonium+) are incredibly short-lived and make poor paper weights.
    Learn something http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3313/02.ht ml

    --
    Were that I say, pancakes?
  6. Re:Is it the same fraudster? by rtjohn · · Score: 5, Funny

    My inferiority complex isn't as good as your's

  7. Self-esteem problem? by cold+fjord · · Score: 5, Funny

    Self-esteem problem? Maybe it's time you try Nu-kleeas(R), the all new "proton enhancement" solution.

    Just take it 30 femtoseconds before any quantum coupling and you will see an all new you.

    Ask your PhD about it today to see if the little "quantum packet" is right for you.

    Warning: Side effects may include uncertainty, fission, fusion, photon emission, prolonged electron excitation, ionization, or other side effects. Tell your PhD if you are engaged in any antimatter collisions. Nu-kleeas(R) is not right for everybody.

    --
    much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
  8. patented process by walt-sjc · · Score: 5, Funny

    Unfortunatly, the process for combining Californium and Calcium (which is called "Californication") has already been patented by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

  9. Re:It is a BIG DEAL! by Bertie · · Score: 5, Funny

    Milla Jovovich.

  10. Why 118? Well... by piphil · · Score: 5, Informative

    A lot of people seem to be dismissing this as without a practical use. However there is method to the seemed madness of making ever-bigger nuclei. Elements tend to be either stable or unstable - carbon is stable, uranium is not. This stability is caused by the arangement of protons/neutrons in the atoms' nucleii. I'm not exactly sure why this occurs - I'm a biologist, I'm not really meant to know - but whether or not a nulceus is stable or not follows a pattern determined by "shell-model" calculations (see here for the science bit).

    So although making 3 atoms of 118 doesn't seem to amount to much, especially as it instantly falls apart, it's another step on the way to making th first of the synthetic heavy elements in a "stability island". It's thought that such a material could have strange and useful properties. Or it could be a complete waste of money and be boring as hell. I don't know, but that's the point of research at the end of the day...

  11. Re:A ways to go before element 137 by coaxial · · Score: 5, Funny

    So would that make the atomic number of Unobtainium 139?

  12. Re:It is a BIG DEAL! by jhjmonnee · · Score: 5, Funny

    Heart. Then Captain Planet shows up to take care of the bad guys...duh.

    --
    hiphop-universe.com