Not signed in (Sign In)

WorldWeird: Cluster of new stable elements found

Bottom of Page

1 to 12 of 12

  1.  
  1.  (1701.1)
    <a href="http://www.physorg.com/news126711994.html">A new chunk of previously theoretical exotic matter is to be added to our periodic table.</a>

    Cheers,

    Chris.
    •  
      CommentAuthorm1k3y
    • CommentTimeApr 7th 2008
     (1701.2)
    oh, interesting.. ta!
    • CommentAuthorpi8you
    • CommentTimeApr 7th 2008
     (1701.3)
    Huh, when did they come up with the sea/islands metaphor?

    Oh, and, Science!
    “I don’t want to fantasize, but if they can devise a method for the production of superheavy elements in large quantities, I am sure they can find some worthy application for these elements,” Oganessian said.
    • CommentAuthorCaBil
    • CommentTimeApr 7th 2008
     (1701.4)
    Sure there is. They are called super-heavy, right?

    How much you want to bet someone right now is working out a proposal to use the super-heavies in place of depleted uranium in tank rounds? If there is any way to jack up the cost of something as basic as AP rounds on a cost plus basis, I am sure someone is working on it...
  5.  (1701.5)
    This is ironic, as I'm headed out to my chemistry class right now. I'll have to ask the prof if he's heard about this.
  6.  (1701.6)
    That's extremely cool. I hope they call one of them monstermagnetium, as that's what I think of when I hear "superheavy."
  7.  (1701.7)
    Ooooh, Will; That was bad! :)
    • CommentAuthorStefanJ
    • CommentTimeApr 7th 2008
     (1701.8)
    In a Poul Anderson novel whose title escapes me at the moment, a natural source of superheavy metals is found and becomes the focus of political intrigue and military action.

    As I recall, the stuff was produced by a supernova, and plated out on a planet that was once the core of a gas giant.

    It has all sorts of useful properties.

    Umm, the title might have been "Mirkheim." And if it is, it was published in 1977.
  9.  (1701.9)
    IIRC, stability in this context means a half-life measured in seconds or minutes rather than milliseconds.

    So practical applications are likely to be in areas such as ultra-small ultra-powerful nuclear batteries.
  10.  (1701.10)
    @Insect King

    Thanks for posting this. Scored me kudos with the prof, who hadn't heard about it yet.
  11.  (1701.11)
    New Scientist has a related story - researchers say they may have found naturally-occurring traces of element 122 in Thorium.

    If this is true - and it's currently looking like a pretty big if - it means 122 is stable enough that it's survived since before the formation of the Earth.

    http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn13828-has-the-heaviest-element-been-found.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news6_head_dn13828
  12.  (1701.12)
    Oh wow!

    Scientists will be able to design a whole new generation of bombs.

1 to 12 of 12

  1.