back to article Boffinry summit names 3 new elements

Boffinry chiefs meeting in London are chuffed to announce the official naming of three new elements on the periodic table. Atoms with 110, 111 and 112 protons in their nuclei will henceforth be known as darmstadtium (Ds), roentgenium (Rg) and copernicium (Cn) respectively. The names were suggested by the Joint Working Party …

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  1. Phalamir
    Mushroom

    Ununbium

    Was going to be named ptolemium until they realized the electrons were not in the nucleus

  2. J. Cook Silver badge
    Coat

    how rare are these elements?

    one of them could have been called unobtanium.

    I'll get my hat and coat.

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      Yeah, why no unotanium ?

      After all, I seem to recall a film mentioning that element.

      Oh wait . .

  3. Anonymous John
    Coat

    I'd have preferred

    Parisium and Lohanium.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Highly volatile substances

      requiring secure storage in a container reinforced with metal bars.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If they meet in London

    Does that mean a world outside America exists and we can go back to spelling sulphur with a PH?

    1. Schick
      Boffin

      @ AC London Sulfer

      So that's London England then - not London Arkinsaw - Arkinsas - Arkansas - whatever.

      As to Sulfer, if one spelled it, spellt it, or even spelt it "SulPHur" it would look bloody silly.

      1. Disco-Legend-Zeke
        Pint

        If You Were Ever There...

        ...you would spell it "Arkanswamp."

    2. BristolBachelor Gold badge

      Oficially Aluminium is Aluminium too, just ask them. However that doesn't stop it being spelt differently in different languages (e.g. American)

  5. PaulVD

    Prenaming elements

    We already know the atomic numbers of the elements that have not yet been created. So why did the committee not clear the decks while it was meeting anyway and announce the names to be assigned to the next dozen or so?

    1. TheProf
      Pint

      Because

      If they meet they get paid expenses etc. Where's the profit if they do all the work on one day?

    2. BristolBachelor Gold badge

      Actually, we don't know if there would be another row on the periodic table. It might not actually be possible to stick more protons together.

  6. Bronek Kozicki
    Joke

    Copernicus was a woman!

    really, had to say that

    1. Mage Silver badge

      @Bronek Kozicki

      Copernicus was a Man. I'm not sure why you "really, had to say that". Or what the joke value might be.

      In the 1490s everybody had long hair and most better off wore robes that looked a bit like a dress but more like a long dressing gown really.

  7. Mage Silver badge

    Umm

    They had already decided on these names. It's just "finalised" or something.

    A further meeting will look at proposals for names for 113 to 118 (the last of which was agreed to have been created in June 2011). Then another meeting will ratify the final choices.

    Advanced boffins are trying to make the Periodic table obsolete by synthesis of elements 119 and higher. It's not clear what happens after 120, if indeed any higher can be synthesised.

    Prenaming Elements.

    It's not certain that any elements above 118 will be created, or which ones (they tend not to be created with sequential atomic number, so the "next" one above 118 might be 132 or anything).

    1. Intractable Potsherd

      Point taken, but ...

      ... since the names don't have anything to do with characteristics of the elements themselves, a list could be created. Then, the name at the top of the list is assigned to the next element confirmed. There is precedent for this in the naming of hurricanes, for instance.

  8. BristolBachelor Gold badge

    Not that new

    My periodic table of the elements shower curtain (present from SO) already has darmstadtium (Ds), roentgenium (Rg) and it's fairly old.

    However I suppose that my shower curtain is not necessarily correct, because for element 13 it says "Aluminum" (strangely it doesn't have Californum, darmstadtum, roentgenum, etc...)

  9. John 62
    Alien

    Elerium-115

    Better get started with researching laser rifles (not as strong as plasma, but unlimited ammo!) and psi attacks before the ethereals come.

  10. Kubla Cant

    Copernicus

    Was really called Niclas Koppernigk.

    Instead of copernicium, they could have just called it Kopper.

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