New Element, 115, Confirmed

[Bindal]

So uh... what can this element do exactly? Anything interesting and life changing?

It can give you psychic powers. All we need now is some Alien Alloys and we'll have our very own plasma guns!

The alternative would be this thing, among other fun stuff:

 

[Daverson]

But did they find out if it's capable of generating a powerful anti-gravitation field under certain conditions?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to add everyone who said "is it [not Elerium]?" to the list. Especially because no one mentioned difficult-to-obtainium!

 

[Dr.Awkward]

I like ununpentium, it sounds like something that processors would be comprised of in the future...

 

[RJ 17]

Well someone already stole my unobtainium joke, so I'll go ahead and ask my question instead.

Now I did alright in chemistry, got a B. That said, I only got a B because the teacher made the class very easy with how he graded and such. So could someone tell me where the extra protons are coming from in this situation?

Swedish scientists projected a beam of calcium ions, made up of 20 protons, at a thin film of americium, consisting of 90 protons. When the two collided, the atomic nuclei combined to produce a few short-lived atoms with 115 protons.

Now I failed calculus, but doesn't 20 + 90 = 110? Obviously I've gotta be missing something here, and would appreciate a "layman's terms" explanation on where these extra protons are coming from to give it 115.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Meh, wake me when we get Element-99.

Spoiler: I want to make time my plaything.

 

[JakobBloch]

What are the possible uses for an element that can only ever exist for a few seconds?

Might as well have called it unobtanium.

This is less a story to encourage further euphoria about physical science, but one that highlights how practically useless a lot of it is becoming.

I am sorry to say this but that last line is one of the most sorry sentences in existence. NO science has any practical application or purpose while it is being done. Every new discovery is useless when it is done. Only with further study and greater understanding does practical applications become evident. The most obvious examples of this is quantum mechanics and electricity. The electron when it was discovered was useless. It had no practical purpose, but now the whole world works because of our understanding of it. As for quantum mechanics I dare you to get a gps to work without it.

There are 2 branches of science going on these days. There is what you might call commercial science and academic science. Commercial science uses what we already know to create useful stuff. This is largely how the medical industry works. This sort of science needs a "guaranteed" profit at the end of it. Academic science on the other hand flail in the dark. They try new things at infinitum to discover new truths about the world. Their goal is not profit but discovery itself. This means that very few are willing to invest in that sort of science. This is also the reason that the free market can not be trusted wholly with scientific progress.
That being said the commercial science is also necessary to explore how to use the new knowledge gained. As long as this new element can not be contained in any stable state no commercial entity will be interested bu if it can be stabilised I am sure someone will be willing to take a poke at it.

So in short: Claiming that science is "practically useless" betrays the entire history of science and discovery. It is that sort of thinking that leaves research grants unfunded and lets others do the great discoveries. Oh and there is prestige involved as well.

 

[Danny Ocean]

I am sorry to say this but that last line is one of the most sorry sentences in existence. NO science has any practical application or purpose while it is being done. Every new discovery is useless when it is done. Only with further study and greater understanding does practical applications become evident. The most obvious examples of this is quantum mechanics and electricity. The electron when it was discovered was useless. It had no practical purpose, but now the whole world works because of our understanding of it. As for quantum mechanics I dare you to get a gps to work without it.

There are 2 branches of science going on these days. There is what you might call commercial science and academic science. Commercial science uses what we already know to create useful stuff. This is largely how the medical industry works. This sort of science needs a "guaranteed" profit at the end of it. Academic science on the other hand flail in the dark. They try new things at infinitum to discover new truths about the world. Their goal is not profit but discovery itself. This means that very few are willing to invest in that sort of science. This is also the reason that the free market can not be trusted wholly with scientific progress.

That being said the commercial science is also necessary to explore how to use the new knowledge gained. As long as this new element can not be contained in any stable state no commercial entity will be interested bu if it can be stabilised I am sure someone will be willing to take a poke at it.

I don't know why you assume I don't know anything about how science works, or that I'm somehow opposed to it.

There are what I would call direction-less studies, and directed studies. Direction-less studies are feeling in the dark, usually with an implicit aim but not always. They might have a hypothesis stating, "If we change X there is a change in Y."

Directed studies use hypotheses formed from direction-less studies to build practical models. They might hypothesis that, "If we increase X it increases Y." And from that deduce the extent of the causal relationship.

Sure, the foundations are discovered by accident, or without particular direction. All the useful stuff comes once the foundations have been laid. Discovering the electron was useless, then people started doing directed studies into how they behaved and opened up a world of practical applications. That's where the juicy stuff is.

So in short: Claiming that science is "practically useless" betrays the entire history of science and discovery. It is that sort of thinking that leaves research grants unfunded and lets others do the great discoveries. Oh and there is prestige involved as well.

No, I claimed that much of direction-less modern physical science is practically useless.

 

[kael013]

Please don't use in teleporter research, please don't use in teleporter research. Hell, please don't use in [i/]any[/i] research with human test subjects.

On the other hand, psychic powers. OK, never mind. Carry on.

So when does the naming process begin? It better be soon or else they're gonna get smothered in petitions to name it Elerium.

 

[JakobBloch]

Well someone already stole my unobtainium joke, so I'll go ahead and ask my question instead.

Now I did alright in chemistry, got a B. That said, I only got a B because the teacher made the class very easy with how he graded and such. So could someone tell me where the extra protons are coming from in this situation?

Swedish scientists projected a beam of calcium ions, made up of 20 protons, at a thin film of americium, consisting of 90 protons. When the two collided, the atomic nuclei combined to produce a few short-lived atoms with 115 protons.

Now I failed calculus, but doesn't 20 + 90 = 110? Obviously I've gotta be missing something here, and would appreciate a "layman's terms" explanation on where these extra protons are coming from to give it 115.

Don't hang me up on this but I am guessing the extra protons and electrons are coming from neutrons that get split. Apparently when smash neutrons into each other with enough force they sometimes split into a proton and an electron (and a neutrino but as far as I understand that thing just flies off as radiation). So if 5 of the 152(ish) neutrons in the collision split... tada Elerium 115.

 

[JakobBloch]

I am sorry to say this but that last line is one of the most sorry sentences in existence. NO science has any practical application or purpose while it is being done. Every new discovery is useless when it is done. Only with further study and greater understanding does practical applications become evident. The most obvious examples of this is quantum mechanics and electricity. The electron when it was discovered was useless. It had no practical purpose, but now the whole world works because of our understanding of it. As for quantum mechanics I dare you to get a gps to work without it.

There are 2 branches of science going on these days. There is what you might call commercial science and academic science. Commercial science uses what we already know to create useful stuff. This is largely how the medical industry works. This sort of science needs a "guaranteed" profit at the end of it. Academic science on the other hand flail in the dark. They try new things at infinitum to discover new truths about the world. Their goal is not profit but discovery itself. This means that very few are willing to invest in that sort of science. This is also the reason that the free market can not be trusted wholly with scientific progress.

That being said the commercial science is also necessary to explore how to use the new knowledge gained. As long as this new element can not be contained in any stable state no commercial entity will be interested bu if it can be stabilised I am sure someone will be willing to take a poke at it.

I don't know why you assume I don't know anything about how science works, or that I'm somehow opposed to it.

There are what I would call direction-less studies, and directed studies. Direction-less studies are feeling in the dark, usually with an implicit aim but not always. They might have a hypothesis stating, "If we change X there is a change in Y."

Directed studies use hypotheses formed from direction-less studies to build practical models. They might hypothesis that, "If we increase X it increases Y." And from that deduce the extent of the causal relationship.

Sure, the foundations are discovered by accident, or without particular direction. All the useful stuff comes once the foundations have been laid. Discovering the electron was useless, then people started doing directed studies into how they behaved and opened up a world of practical applications.

So in short: Claiming that science is "practically useless" betrays the entire history of science and discovery. It is that sort of thinking that leaves research grants unfunded and lets others do the great discoveries. Oh and there is prestige involved as well.

No, I claimed that much of direction-less modern physical science is practically useless.

Actually you claimed physical science was practically useless, but that is just nitpicking.

If you define directionless research as research without a hypothesis, then I don't actually think it exist anymore. The days of doing something just to see what happens is gone. Largely because the cost of that sort of research is very expensive these days. You don't go firing the Hadron collider to see if something happens. You have made calculations, you have probabilities. You have everything mapped out. Then you fire it. If your predictions a correct, you know that your models work (for now) and you move on. If you were wrong or there were discrepancies, then you check everything again. If everything checks out you start looking at the results and try to build a new model. Then you do it all again.

I don't think anyone stumbled over a new element. They went out to find it. Some russians found/created it. Then some swedes tested their findings, including doing the experiment themselves and found the russians findings to be correct. So tada there is a new element.

So in short: If your definition of directionless research is research without a hypothesis then I don't think it exist anymore.

 

[Danny Ocean]

So in short: If your definition of directionless research is research without a hypothesis then I don't think it exist anymore.

Hmm..

I didn't say that directoinless research has no hypothesis, it's that the hypothesis is pretty vague.

But you know you might be right.

I guess that just illustrates the massive utility of directed research.

I'd be good if a professional scientist could comment.

 

[JakobBloch]

So in short: If your definition of directionless research is research without a hypothesis then I don't think it exist anymore.

Hmm..

I didn't say that directoinless research has no hypothesis, it's that the hypothesis is pretty vague.

But you know you might be right.

I guess that just illustrates the massive utility of directed research.

I'd be good if a professional scientist could comment.

And destroy our chance to flail wildly in the dark with only anecdotal knowledge and understanding?

Bite you tongue. =)

 

[Danny Ocean]

And destroy our chance to flail wildly in the dark with only anecdotal knowledge and understanding?

Bite you're tongue. =)

EDIT: OOPS!

Our, not your.

So so sorry, it's late here. x)

I've been spending too much time in R&P. x.x

 

[Chessrook44]

Two more elements and suddenly we'll have people screaming for a videogame name for the element.

Considering there are TWO big franchises with an element 115 playing a key-role (XCOM with Elerium and CoD Zombies with... well... Element 115), I say that's totally legit. Besides, "Elerium" does sound like a good name for such things. Might as well take it.

Actually, 115 is some thing from the CoD games, as it is used as all purpose plot hole filler for zombies mode.

why is there a gun that shoots lightning? Element 115.
How do teleporters work? 115.

I preferred it when it was just a little bonus, not half the damn game.

Actually I was referring to how many will be screaming when Element 117 is discovered.

Because Halo.

 

[upgray3dd]

Well someone already stole my unobtainium joke, so I'll go ahead and ask my question instead.

Now I did alright in chemistry, got a B. That said, I only got a B because the teacher made the class very easy with how he graded and such. So could someone tell me where the extra protons are coming from in this situation?

Swedish scientists projected a beam of calcium ions, made up of 20 protons, at a thin film of americium, consisting of 90 protons. When the two collided, the atomic nuclei combined to produce a few short-lived atoms with 115 protons.

Now I failed calculus, but doesn't 20 + 90 = 110? Obviously I've gotta be missing something here, and would appreciate a "layman's terms" explanation on where these extra protons are coming from to give it 115.

Don't hang me up on this but I am guessing the extra protons and electrons are coming from neutrons that get split. Apparently when smash neutrons into each other with enough force they sometimes split into a proton and an electron (and a neutrino but as far as I understand that thing just flies off as radiation). So if 5 of the 152(ish) neutrons in the collision split... tada Elerium 115.

Actually, I think it is a typo. From Wikipedia: "Americium (/ˌæməˈrɪsiəm/ am-ə-ris-ee-əm) is a transuranic radioactive chemical element that has the symbol Am and atomic number 95." It has 95 protons.

 

[Drejer43]

I dont understand why they even bother with these elements.

 

[Strazdas]

Trust us, they said.
There are no secrets in the universe, they said.
We know all the elements, they said.
Where is your science now?

 

[Retardinator]

I thought the new element was supposed to be called Cortexrulestheworldium...

 

[Psychobabble]

All I will say is that I hope this new element will find tolerance and acceptance among its peers and isn't a victim of bullying from all the other longer lasting elements.