Boffinry chiefs meeting in London are chuffed to announce the official naming of three new elements on the periodic table. Atoms with 110, 111 and 112 protons in their nuclei will henceforth be known as darmstadtium (Ds), roentgenium (Rg) and copernicium (Cn) respectively. The names were suggested by the Joint Working Party on …
Was going to be named ptolemium until they realized the electrons were not in the nucleus
how rare are these elements?
one of them could have been called unobtanium.
I'll get my hat and coat.
Yeah, why no unotanium ?
After all, I seem to recall a film mentioning that element.
Oh wait . .
I'd have preferred
Parisium and Lohanium.
Highly volatile substances
requiring secure storage in a container reinforced with metal bars.
If they meet in London
Does that mean a world outside America exists and we can go back to spelling sulphur with a PH?
@ AC London Sulfer
So that's London England then - not London Arkinsaw - Arkinsas - Arkansas - whatever.
As to Sulfer, if one spelled it, spellt it, or even spelt it "SulPHur" it would look bloody silly.
Oficially Aluminium is Aluminium too, just ask them. However that doesn't stop it being spelt differently in different languages (e.g. American)
If You Were Ever There...
...you would spell it "Arkanswamp."
We already know the atomic numbers of the elements that have not yet been created. So why did the committee not clear the decks while it was meeting anyway and announce the names to be assigned to the next dozen or so?
If they meet they get paid expenses etc. Where's the profit if they do all the work on one day?
Actually, we don't know if there would be another row on the periodic table. It might not actually be possible to stick more protons together.
Copernicus was a woman!
really, had to say that
Copernicus was a Man. I'm not sure why you "really, had to say that". Or what the joke value might be.
In the 1490s everybody had long hair and most better off wore robes that looked a bit like a dress but more like a long dressing gown really.
They had already decided on these names. It's just "finalised" or something.
A further meeting will look at proposals for names for 113 to 118 (the last of which was agreed to have been created in June 2011). Then another meeting will ratify the final choices.
Advanced boffins are trying to make the Periodic table obsolete by synthesis of elements 119 and higher. It's not clear what happens after 120, if indeed any higher can be synthesised.
It's not certain that any elements above 118 will be created, or which ones (they tend not to be created with sequential atomic number, so the "next" one above 118 might be 132 or anything).
Point taken, but ...
... since the names don't have anything to do with characteristics of the elements themselves, a list could be created. Then, the name at the top of the list is assigned to the next element confirmed. There is precedent for this in the naming of hurricanes, for instance.
Not that new
My periodic table of the elements shower curtain (present from SO) already has darmstadtium (Ds), roentgenium (Rg) and it's fairly old.
However I suppose that my shower curtain is not necessarily correct, because for element 13 it says "Aluminum" (strangely it doesn't have Californum, darmstadtum, roentgenum, etc...)
Better get started with researching laser rifles (not as strong as plasma, but unlimited ammo!) and psi attacks before the ethereals come.
Was really called Niclas Koppernigk.
Instead of copernicium, they could have just called it Kopper.
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