back to article Periodic table enjoys elemental engorgement

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has announced it's satisfied that elements 113, 115, 117, and 118 really do exist and can take their places on the periodic table. Element 113 (going under the temporary name and symbol ununtrium, Uut) was discovered in 2012 by the Japanese research institute RIKEN …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Unobtainium...

    See title...

    1. NoneSuch Silver badge

      Re: Unobtainium...

      livermorium needs onionorium.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Unobtainium...

        You forgot Bacon(ium).

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Unobtainium...Bacon(ium)

          I am surprised that Daltonium was not used earlier. Unfortunately a commercial entity has been allowed to register daltonium.com, so the father of the atomic theory can't be recognised.

          1. weegie38

            Re: Unobtainium...Bacon(ium)

            We can't have daltonium yet. It has to be preceded by connerium, lazenbium, and moorium in the decay chain (I believe lazenbium has a rather short half-life)

      2. PNGuinn
        Thumb Up

        Re: Unobtainium...

        and BACONorium!

      3. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Simon Harris
      Coat

      Re: Unobtainium...

      As 118 is the prefix for UK directory enquiry services, surely

      Number-Unobtainium would be more appropriate.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Unobtainium...

        You dialled 118 ?

        Expensivanium.

    3. nilfs2

      Re: Unobtainium...

      What about Expensium?

    4. roytrubshaw
      Coat

      Re: Unobtainium...

      <pedant>

      No! I say and thrice more No!

      This is the element that Dyson Spheres are probably built from (though not Ringworlds - I think that's "Scrith") and is probably what powers light-sabres, hyperdrives, makes micro-fusion possible and a host of other things that we should - in the Red Queen's words - believe in before breakfast.

      And since all of these elements have pretty short half-lives there's no way any of them can actually be Unobtainium.

      Anyway I'm off before the nice men and women in those bright, white lab...

      </pedant>

      1. Tim99 Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: Unobtainium...

        @roytrubshaw

        This is the element that Dyson Spheres are probably built from

        So that is why his vacuum cleaners are so expensive.

        Mine's the heavy one with the CRC Handbook in the pocket >>======>

        1. Peter2 Silver badge

          Re: Unobtainium...

          ElRegium?

          Given that the Roman empire is long since dead, and Latin is a completely dead language that a mere handful of people can read, and fewer still could hold a conversation in it WHY do we persist on hanging Latin suffixes on words that maybe 0.01% of the worlds population understands?

          1. Kristian Walsh Silver badge

            Re: Unobtainium...

            It's precisely because nobody speaks Latin that it's used so much for naming. The idea is to have a language that everyone can agree does not favour any one country.

            Look at Switzerland: it has four spoken languages, each with its own vocal lobby: even deciding what to put on the postage stamps was a contentious question. The solution was to use Latin, as it belonged to no group at all. So, the stamps say "Helvetia", and the car-stickers read "CH" ("Confœderatio Helvetica" - "[the] Swiss Confederation"), as does the ISO Country code and thus Switzerland's top-level domain name.

            Latin's other advantage is that because there are no native speakers to object, its pronunciation has, over the centuries, been knocked into a form that's simple enough that speakers of pretty much any other language can master it.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Unobtainium...

              "Latin's other advantage is that because there are no native speakers to object, its pronunciation has, over the centuries, been knocked into a form that's simple enough that speakers of pretty much any other language can master it."

              Ah, but ancient documentaries of Rome clearly show Latin spoken with a British accent (occasionally American), not this silly southern Italian accent they're trying to get us to use...

    5. Dwarf

      Re: Unobtainium...

      Have an upvote.

      That was EXACTLY on my mind when I hit the forum button and low,you had beaten me to it.

      If you are adding that though, then the lower number to it must be the easier to generate "Rarataninum"

      Ratchet and Clank - a great time waster. Perhaps I'll go and waste some more time on it ..

    6. Turtle

      It is SO Obvious: Re: Unobtainium...

      "Doubtless readers will suggest suitably inspiring titles for 113, 115, 117, and 118, before it's too late."

      These elements should be named "onethirteenium, onefifteenium, oneseventeenium, and oneeighteenium" respectively.

      Got any other problems do you need solved?

      1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

        Re: It is SO Obvious: Unobtainium...

        "onethirteenium, onefifteenium, oneseventeenium, and oneeighteenium"

        But they are already called those names (albeit in Latin). We're looking for ones that aren't crap.

      2. This post has been deleted by its author

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hoowz aboot

    DILITHITANIUM

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "californium with calcium ions to create element 118"

    Unosteoporosisium?

  4. Graham Cunningham

    In honour of the late Sir Pterry, and as the final(?) element, I'll propose: 118 Octarinium.

    1. Robert Helpmann??
      Childcatcher

      Octarinium

      Well, there were several newish discoveries wanting names, so why not throw in Magnaatuinium? I suspect it1 is equally difficult to pronounce in any language and is also as rare as a real space-faring turtle.

      1 Whichever one it is.

    2. Neoc

      @Graham Cunningham:

      Well, they do currently sound like they've been named by a certain famous inventor from Quirm.

  5. Simon Harris

    If nobody can agree...

    Pandemonium.

    1. Steve K

      Re: If nobody can agree...

      Good choice, but already done in the separation of Americium and Curium!!! (Pandemonium and Delirium)

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americium

      Steve

    2. Mark 85

      Re: If nobody can agree...

      Why are all the "new" elements ending in -ium? Why not be simple. Let's call one "Ralph".

      1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

        Re: If nobody can agree...

        Let's call one "Ralph".

        And the next one "The Other Ralph".

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. Your alien overlord - fear me

    The Japanese were the 2nd to find element 113 but they were the first to reproduce the making of it (3 times I think) so they get first dibs at naming it. The Russian/US teams found it first but couldn't make it again.

    So, are we going to get a remake of The Fifth Element but with a 113 year old Bruce Willis?

    1. Frumious Bandersnatch

      Dallascorbinium?

      1. Midnight

        Mooltipassium?

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    113 is obviously unlukium, but 115 is windowsmobilium as it have the same half life as a microsoft phone OS.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If any are edible what about nominominum?

    1. Greggles

      Anything's edible if you're brave.

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Everything is edible at least once...

  10. Dr. G. Freeman

    113 will be something to do with RIKEN or Japan (Japonium, Rikenium)

    115, was the Dubna lot, so Moscovium (we already have Dubnium)

    117, Oak Ridge, so Weinburgium after it's first boss maybe ? Well, Weinburgine seeing as it's a halogen- oe either named after the lab (Oakine) or after the state (Tennessine, or Tennessium),

    118, Dubna/ Lawerence Livermore team up - so that'll be something safe and non-political... but has to end in -on as its a Noble Gas. Higgson, maybe ?

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      "117, Oak Ridge, so Weinburgium after it's first boss maybe ? Well, Weinburgine seeing as it's a halogen"

      Quercine?

      1. Eddy Ito
        Coat

        Easy

        113 - Geranium

        115 - Willium

        117 - Christine

        118 - Byron

  11. Simon Harris

    Element 115

    As a super-heavy metal, Kilmisterium would be a fitting tribute.

    1. Anonymous Custard

      Re: Element 115

      Only if it changes to Lemmium after a few years without anyone knowing who came up with the new name or why...

    2. frank ly

      Re: Element 115

      Or Lemmyum?

      Edit: Sighs; beaten to it.

  12. Guus Leeuw

    What? New direction at The Reg?

    Dear Sir,

    "Doubtless readers will suggest ..." Why does the author think that his readers are doubtless? I, for one, doubt that the author actually means what he wrote.

    So, El Reg, what about that stone editor, now that the site is going to undergo a dramatic change in direction?

    Also, while you're at it: How about HTTPS?

    Regards.

    Guus

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Re: What? New direction at The Reg?

      Commentardium?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: What? New direction at The Reg?

        >Commentardium?

        Hacktardanium

        1. Jos V

          Re: What? New direction at The Reg?

          Trollium

          1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

            Re: What? New direction at The Reg?

            Trollium

            Not really appropriate. Trolls are unstable, but they often have a very long half-life.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Arse-Kissing alert!

    Vultureronium

  14. SW10
    Mushroom

    No. 118

    Now there's a line of them, I think Element 118 should be named Deslynam.

  15. Shane8
    Go

    The Element Song

    Can we request Tom Lehrer to make an updated song ?

    For those of you too young to remember;

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcS3NOQnsQM

    1. Nebra

      Re: The Element Song

      C4 have it! https://twitter.com/jonsnowC4/status/684112762633453568

  16. Blipvert

    Sponsorship Deal?

    I wonder if they could be tempted by a big corporation?

    FACEBOOKONIUM?

  17. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    How about...

    Postneckfillerium

    Baconbuttyium

    RDFium

    BSODium

  18. TRT Silver badge

    118 118

    Prefontium?

  19. Stephen Hunt

    113 and 118

    113 - Unluckyforsomeium?

    118 - Directoryenquirium?

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    118?

    Telephonium?

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    We still need to decide on a name for element 13

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      We still need to decide on a name for element 13

      We have. It's you over there who can't make your minds up. Like with SI units and paper sizes.

    2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Ah, yes, I came here to suggest aloominum but I see I've been beaten to it :-)

    3. Steven Roper

      I have a compromise deal for you Americans

      In the interests of ensuring the consistency of the "-ium" suffix for metals, we'll agree to start spelling sulphur with an f if you guys will agree to spell and pronounce the second i in aluminium!

      1. Tim99 Silver badge

        Re: I have a compromise deal for you Americans

        Hi Steven,

        I posted this in reply to a similar post a couple of years ago:-

        Look, we're spelling sulphur sulfur now, the least you could do is reciprocate ;)

        OK, what follows is nearly interesting. IUPAC (International Union of Pure And Applied Chemistry) decrees that the correct spellings are aluminium and sulfur. ...

        Sulphur is sulfur as it comes from a Latin root rather than Greek, and early UK spellings used the "f". It was turned into the pseudo-posh "ph" later. There is a heated thread about it on The Royal Society of Chemistry website - Link: rsc.org

        The definitive IUPAC periodic table is here: PDF file.

        USAians are allowed ( but not encouraged by their education system) to use the correct aluminium.

        1. graeme leggett Silver badge

          Re: I have a compromise deal for you Americans

          I know what IUPAC thinks, but they can take the ph out of sulphur when they prise it from my dead chemically stained* fingers.

          *only joking, haven't had to do wet chemistry in an age.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wherethefuckdiditgoanium

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    113

    Taking a moment to remember the days when conspiracy nuts would claim element 113 was a stable element used to power the gravity drives on UFO's...

    As usual though, they went silent after it was actually discovered.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: 113 - As usual though, they went silent after it was actually discovered.

      Just had the wrong isotope. All of these things could be made stable if you could only push enough neutrons in. The trick is pushing the neutrons.

      (prove me wrong).

  24. Fink-Nottle

    Blackadderium??

    Lord Percy Percy: [removes lump of Green from pot] Oh, Edmund... can it be true? That I hold here, in my mortal hand, a nugget of purest Green?

  25. Cronus
    Alien

    If you played the original X-COM game

    115 should obviously be called Elerium-115

    1. Uncle Slacky Silver badge
      Alien

      Re: If you played the original X-COM game

      115 should be named after the guy who made it (in)famous - Bob Lazar...

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Lazar#Claims

      Hence, Lazarium!

      1. WraithCadmus
        Alien

        Re: If you played the original X-COM game

        Sadly there's requirements, it can only be called after a person if they were a scientist and it seems poor Bob doesn't quite have the qualifications claimed. Mythological names are okay though, is the alien-mania of the 80s and 90s long enough ago to count?

        New elements can be named after a mythological concept, a mineral, a place or country, a property or a scientist.

        1. Darryl

          Re: If you played the original X-COM game

          Asimovium?

          He was a chemist

          and thiotimoline is a compound, not an element, so that's out

          1. Daniel von Asmuth
            Holmes

            Asimovum?

            Hawkingum (physicist), Merkelium (politician). Laudanum (drug), Belgicum (country), Democratium (mythical concept). Frankensteinum (ficitional scientist), Tellerium (scientist).

            1. This post has been deleted by its author

            2. Roj Blake Silver badge

              Re: Asimovum?

              Thatcherium?

              (She was a chemist too...)

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: Asimovum?

                Thatcher!!!!!! Never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever should any element be named after that community destroying, self serving, ice cream maker. Yes, she was notionally a chemist, but her only contribution to science was to find a method of adding air to ice cream so that you ended up paying out money of air rather than the ice cream you wanted. The then went on to take school milk away from us as children. One can only assume that there was some underlying desire to remove dairy goodness from the mouths of Britain's children. She probably wanted to reintroduce rickets to the working classes.

            3. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Asimovum?

              Frau Doktor Angela Merkel is a scientist, but alive so doesn't qualify.

              However, we have dubium, livermorium and darmstadtium, so how about windscalium, chernobуlium, fukushimium and threemileislandium for a bit of balance?

        2. Jos V

          Re: If you played the original X-COM game

          " New elements can be named after a mythological concept, a mineral, a place or country, a property or a scientist.

          Pratchettium? At least he was a science-fiction-ist. And was knighted. And he lived too short.

    2. toughluck

      Re: If you played the original X-COM game

      Hear hear!

  26. Thecowking

    Elerium is clearly the only name that makes sense.

    How else can we battle sectoids without Elerium tech?

  27. Simon Harris

    (stolen from a Guardian commentard)

    Since these elements are so short-lived...

    NewYearResolutionium.

  28. itzman

    Why not just call them MACOS, LINUX and CRAP.

    1. Steve K

      Err.. there are 4 elements to name anyway...

      Without pissing judgement on the names you suggest, there are 4 elements to name anyway...

      Steve

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    In honour of the "chemtrails sprayers"

    What about morgellonium as this could be the cause of morgellons disease!

  30. TRT Silver badge

    How about...

    Tiberium.

    1. Swarthy

      Re: How about...

      But we'd need to know more about their crystalline structure before risking using up that one.

  31. Shonko Kid
    Coat

    Given their positions...

    I'd suggest 117 is Carriagereturnium and 118 is Linefeedium

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Given their positions...I'd suggest 117 is Carriagereturnium and 118 is Linefeedium

      And then we could rename element 7 belium and germanium could be spacium.

  32. scrubber
    Megaphone

    113 should be named Aluminum so that the yanks would finally have to accept that element 13 is ALUMINIUM.

    Naming one Corbynium would be quite good too.

    1. PNGuinn
      Childcatcher

      Naming one Corbynium would be quite good too.

      no, No and thrice NO!

      Doyouwantsomeonetosuggestshinydavium????

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Hate to burst your bubble...

      but that argument was over long ago and your archaic "spelling" lost.

      1. Efros

        Re: Hate to burst your bubble...

        Aluminum is the more archaic form as it was set down by Davy before aluminium(1812), if we want to be really archaic Davy first called it alumium(1807). Besides IUPAC, the presiding body, decided in 1990 that aluminium was the standard international name for the element, it later recognized that aluminum was an acceptable variant. Pity they couldn't do the same for sulphur!

  33. sjsmoto
    Gimp

    Moeron, Larryium, Curlygen, and Shempton.

    1. Toastan Buttar

      @sjsmoto

      Following on in the same manner:

      Harpium, Grouchium, Chicium and Zeppium.

  34. Sleepypete
    Alien

    Element 115

    It has to be Elerium 115.

    From the popular mythos of the XCom universe. Bow to your Sectoid overlords.

  35. lafnlab
    Mushroom

    Since they're short-lived, how about Gotnothium.

    * Mushroom cloud to represent things atomic

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    117 needs to be "spartanium", or "masterchiefium"

    1. Simon Harris

      Discounting the Halo universe...

      Spartanium - well, there are almost 300 nucleons in the isotopes of element 117 created so far.

      I read your second suggestion as 'Masterchefium' - that nucleus might be fat, but comparing it to Gregg Wallace - that's taking things too far!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        If we're talking MasterChef

        "Torodium" does have a certain ring* to it, though...

        * or, torus, if you prefer.

  37. Ben Fountain

    Pratchettium?

  38. J.G.Harston Silver badge

    113 is the first to be discovered/verified in an Asian country (ignoring Russia), so it should be named in honour of that. I'd say something like Yashimium (Ya) from the ancient name for Japan, as it was dicovered/verified in Japan.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      113 is the first to be discovered/verified in an Asian country (ignoring Russia)

      So, not the first element to be discovered in an Asian country, then.

      Indeed, many Japanese would not agree that Japan is an "Asian" country. Geographically Asia is very vague and culturally Japan is unique.

  39. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    • Tooshortlivedtobeworthwastingtimetalkingaboutium
    • Doesn'treallyexistatallcomeonbehonestium
    • Egotismium
    • Narcissium

    1. JeffyPoooh
      Pint

      "•Tooshortlivedtobeworthwastingtimetalkingaboutium", etc.

      • RequiredAsPlaceholdersToReachTheIslandOfStabilityFurtherUp-ium

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      The names are obvious after reading this thread.

      Tedium, Opprobrium, Delirium and Pandemonium.

  40. Haku

    Nerdium, Geekium, and uhhh...

    ...can't think of any more(ium).

    1. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: Nerdium, Geekium, and uhhh...

      may I suggest Dorkium?

      Seems to complement Nerdium and Geekium well

      1. Blofeld's Cat
        Mushroom

        Re: Nerdium, Geekium, and uhhh...

        How about Bofhium and Pfyium?

        1. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge

          Re: Nerdium, Geekium, and uhhh...

          Boffinium, perhaps?

          1. Haku

            Re: Nerdium, Geekium, and uhhh...

            Geeks & nerds have, it appears, turned into positive terms but dork has always been a negative term which is why I didn't suggest that word.

            If we're going down the internet words/slang route, then I also propose Omnomnomium.

            1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

              Re: Nerdium, Geekium, and uhhh... dorks

              Obligatory Dilbert

  41. Geoff May

    Links to CVE

    In another article today, there was mention of CVEs so I'd suggest combining the two into one:

    113 - Pugetsoundium

    115 - Bairokom

    117 - Saidorium

    118 - Sicilium

  42. Blipvert

    If they happen to be Dr Who fans...

    TARDISSIUM.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: If they happen to be Dr Who fans...

      Or Gallifreyum...

  43. Christoph

    Name one after the scientist who developed the symmetry laws that underlie all of modern particle physics. Noetherium for Emmy Noether.

    1. graeme leggett Silver badge

      "Noetherium" sounds like an extinct mega fauna - you know the ones that look like unfinished elephants.

  44. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Happy New Year Everyone

    Waronium

    Famineon

    Plagueon

    Deathion

  45. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    GOT ANY HARD DRIVES LEFT?

    This thread would make a wicked competition innit

  46. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Apples n Pears=STAIRS

    Arthurum

    Terryon

    Daveium

    InspectorChisholmion

  47. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    These Ninjas are into pepperoni and cheese!

    Leonardoium

    Donatellon

    Michelangelosium

    Raphaelion

  48. Efros

    As a chemist

    Whogivesafuckium springs to mind.

    With half lives so short they are really not particularly useful. Where is that island of stability when you need it?

  49. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    Trumpium

  50. Matthew Taylor

    Lazarium

  51. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Corbinite?

    Didn't Han Solo fall foul of that?

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
      Headmaster

      Re: Corbinite?

      No, that was Carbonite.

  52. mhoulden
    Boffin

    Seeing as the marketing department for Despicable Me wants to have them everywhere else, what about Minium? Alternatively, isn't it about time Richard Feynman had his own element?

    1. Dr. G. Freeman

      137 is Feynmanium. (Fy) as if it exists, proves a theory of his.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_periodic_table#Feynmanium_and_elements_above_the_atomic_number_137

  53. David Webb

    Well, them elements are totally pointless.......

    Be right back, applying to appear on pointless.

  54. Bob Dole (tm)
    Thumb Up

    Extreme Marketing Opportunity

    If I was CEO of a major multinational company I'd be doing everything I could to bid on naming one of these.

    - Cokium

    - Applonium

    - ibmium

    Just think about it: you could be the CEO that PERMANENTLY etches the name of your company into the fabric of the universe.

    and, if I'm the head of IUPAC, then I'd be auctioning off those names starting at $1bn each.

    1. Haku

      Re: Extreme Marketing Opportunity

      I quite like saying the word "Googlium"

    2. toughluck

      Re: Extreme Marketing Opportunity

      Elements are named so that they remain somewhat sane. Researchers are free to name the element they synthesized with the caveat that the name needs to reflect the origin of the element or honor an important physicist or chemist.

      However, if IUPAC took this advice, they could subvert it. By all means, name your element Googlium or Iphonium. Aw, it looks like you're not the ones to have discovered it. Hmm, maybe if you invest money into your own research center, complete with researchers and equipment and synthesized your own new element?

  55. Ugotta B. Kiddingme

    DentArthurDentium

    because it's easier to pronounce and rolls from the tongue better than Slartibartfastium

  56. Frumious Bandersnatch

    eleventy

    three-um to eight-um. Who, ah, um, needs Latin?

    1. Christoph

      Re: eleventy

      Not all scientists speak English. Latin was considered reasonably neutral.

  57. M7S
    Alien

    No mention of Dalekanium?

    or are we waiting for something heavier?

  58. jptech

    for 115

    for ununpentium, it should be called Lazarium after Bob Lazar who first spilled its existence.

  59. Alan Esworthy

    yet more suggestions

    113 (RIKEN/Japan): Nipium, Ninjium, Udonium, Tempurium, Unagium

    115 (Dubna/Russia): Putinium if they know what's good for 'em

    117 (Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA): Yallium, Jackdanielsium, Bluegrassium

    118 (Dubna/Russia & L.Livermore/USA): All I have are shitty suggestions: Crapon, Poopon

  60. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

    Elregium

    Game over :-)

  61. Martin Budden Silver badge

    Geoffrey

    George

    Zippy

    Bungle

  62. Andy8

    With a half life that's the same as the expected product life of an apple device.

    iPodium

    iPhoneium

    iPadium

    iMacium

  63. TRT Silver badge

    Blinkanisgon?

  64. Timbo

    how about these?

    in view of some recent "heavy metal" rock icons departing this mortal coil, I propose:

    Philtyium

    Kilmisterium

    Wurzelium

    Lynottium (as it's 30 years to day that he died)

    (for non-rock fans, these relate to 3 now deceased MotorHead band members: Phil "Philthy" Taylor, Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, Michael "Wurzel" Burston and the late lamented Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy).

    1. Timbo

      Re: how about these?

      Looks like a campaign has been started in support of naming one of the new elements "Lemmium"

      https://www.change.org/p/support-lemmy-tribute-name-newly-discovered-heavy-metal-lemmium

      1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

        Re: Re: how about these?

        Yes, I'm just writing something on it as we speak.

  65. billse10

    113 - Uut

    "uut" means "new" ..... so ......

  66. Public Citizen

    Octorinium?

    Element 118 should be named in honor of Sir Terry Pratchett the recently deceased British Author, humorist, and philosopher.

    The number Eight has played a significant role in the shaping of the background of his best selling Discworld series.

    His works in collaboration with science authors Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen [The bestselling Science of Discworld series] have brought some serious science lessons to a general public that would otherwise never crack a science book.

    Having posted this before reading the earlier posted comments I hereby add an upvote to everyone who suggested this, plus the entirely appropriate reference to the British Phone System, which Sir Terry would find both relevant and humorous in a sufficiently obscure way.

    GNU: Pratchett

  67. howsmiff

    ununnameable

  68. Buster

    WTFisitium

    Whereditgoium

    Ifyoudon'tpostascreenshotitdidnothappenium

    Trollinghardium

  69. Herby

    From the 80's

    Blinkyium, Inkyium, Pinkyium and Clydeium.

  70. Dr Patrick J R Harkin

    Bollocks.

    I'm going to have to buy a new shower curtain. http://www.lightinthebox.com/periodic-table-of-elements-shower-curtain_p1359738.html

    I assume the 91% price cut is due to this model now being obsolete.

  71. TheWeenie

    Tinkywinkyium, Dipsyum, Lalaium, Poum

  72. oomwat

    Supercaliforniumexpicalcidocious

    Yes it's a bit of a mouthful, and quite atrocious!

  73. PassiveSmoking
    Coat

    117

    Masterchiefium?

  74. PhilipN Silver badge

    No Aldermastonium or Harwellium?

    Tragic

  75. MOH

    Since I coincidentally read this about an hour ago, Ossium for 117?

  76. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    In memorium

    Nimoynium

  77. Zork-1
    Devil

    4 horsemen

    Just name them after the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse.

  78. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What about

    Pokemonium?

    It was discovered in Japan after all.

    Or there's always Hentaium

    Still, Rikenium sounds better.

  79. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Symbol for Heavy Metal?`

    https://www.change.org/p/support-lemmy-tribute-name-newly-discovered-heavy-metal-lemmium

  80. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ticket To Ride

    Johnium

    Paulonium

    Georgeion

    Ringonium

  81. Graeme Sutherland
    Alien

    Element 115

    I'm really disappointed that Element 115 doesn't exhibit any of the characteristics that Bob Lazar claimed back in the 1980s. Chief of which was that it was used as a power source for flying saucers.

    Had it done so, we could have called it Lazarium, Alium, or something similar. Ah, well.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Element 115

      Thats because people misunderstood, 115 was actually 115In.

      Which does exist in very small amounts in nature but can be enriched and has some very strange ferromagnetic properties as well as a long (10^14 years) half life suggesting it could be meta-stable.

      The latest twist is that some of the "floating saucer" pictures as well as the early 1940's German craft could have been a variant of what is now used in hoverboards.

      In this case the rotating Cu plated Al field coils repelling a ground based magnetic rotor spinning in the opposite direction were only ever used for initial take-off and not for flight to add stability to the system in a similar way to the rotating blades on a helicopter.

      If a simple B-2 can fly despite being totally unstable aerodynamically then it makes me wonder just how many UFO reports were actually some secret test or other.

  82. Fluffy Cactus

    Since you guys can't agree on anything, let me contribute

    to the confusion with the following suggestions:

    113: Fujiyamium, Tsunamium, Quakium, Origatonium, Sushium

    115: Zarbombakaboom, Riotpussium, Putinium, Rasputinium

    117: Rockridgium, Unnecessarium, Dollypartonium, Cubanrum

    118: Barackiputinion, VladiObamion, Putinohillarion, Notonthephon

  83. emsr

    They could continue using planet names...

    Sednium, Haumaeum, Quaoarium, ...

    Of course, a day will come when they will have to rename Uranium to Urectium to stop those jokes once and for all.

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