THE effort to populate that enduring symbol of chemistry – the periodic table – with ever-heavier elements is replete with wild claims, intense competition and clever detective work, combined with frustrating bureaucracy (see “Element 112 joins the periodic table”). It’s a quest that has all the drama of a soap opera. Yet its implications go far beyond the textbooks, and could elucidate the way the fundamental forces glue atoms together. Exotic new chemistries may also emerge. All in all, it’s the ultimate riposte to those who claim that chemistry is boring.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from Â鶹´«Ã½
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending Â鶹´«Ã½ articles
1
Largest ever map of universe captures 47 million galaxies and quasars
2
Neanderthal infants were enormous compared with modern humans
3
The biggest threat to Chernobyl is no longer radiation
4
Are Neanderthals descendants of modern humans?
5
How to spot the Lyrid meteor shower tonight
6
Electric vehicle owners could earn thousands by supporting power grid
7
The rise, the fall and the rebound of cyclic cosmology
8
Exclusive report: Inside Chernobyl, 40 years after nuclear disaster
9
How autoimmune conditions can unexpectedly drive mental illness
10
Surprising male G-spot found in most detailed study of the penis yet
