• Question: If you one day discovered a new super-heavy stable element, what would you name it any why?

    Asked by Matthew S to Heather, Helen, Hugh, Julian on 19 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Julian Onions

      Julian Onions answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      Mmmm, well usually these elements are named after someone famous. Either who helped discover it (like Meitnerium) or just famous in physics (Einsteinium)
      I’d probably go with Newtonium, or Feynmanium!
      Unfortunably, all the heavier elements still to be made, will be very very unstable, falling apart in fractions of a second, so there isn’t much scope I’m afraid!

    • Photo: Heather Campbell

      Heather Campbell answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      I’d like to call is something a bit different. There are lots of chocolates named after space things so it might be quite funny to name a heavy element after some chocolate! Maybe toblerone! Can you tell chocolates is my favourite thing apart from science!

    • Photo: Helen Johnson

      Helen Johnson answered on 19 Nov 2014:

      haha, I love this question. As Julian says they usually name these things after a famous scientist. I feel like in this day and age it’d be called something like Briancoxium! I’m not sure, I’m a big fan of Despicable Me right now and Minionium has a nice sound to it 😀

Comments