According to scientists in Sweden, we’ve got a new addition to the Periodic Table:
BERLIN (AP) — Scientists in Sweden say they have confirmed the existence of a new chemical element, but its name may need some work.
Researchers at Lund University said Tuesday their find backs up claims by teams in Russia and the United States a decade ago that had remained unverified until now.
The Swedish scientists say they conducted experiments which allowed them to detect the ‘fingerprint’ of the short-lived but super-heavy element that’s been dubbed ununpentium.
The name, which refers to the element’s 115th place in the periodic table, is only provisional.
The element will likely get a new name if the discovery is formally approved by experts from the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and Chemistry.
There’s been discussion for years that, at some point, science would stumble upon a series of super-heavy elements that are more stable that the ones that we’ve only been able to unlock via high-energy physics experimentation. So far, we haven’t gotten to that point, if it event exists.
Update: The link to the story initially pointed to the wrong site, it has since been fixed.
