Fat Silicon Atoms Are Phat!

[Tuckerfan]

No mention if it’ll benefit PCs.

A form of silicon that is bloated with extra neutrons has revealed a ‘magic number’ for the protons in its nucleus.

Atomic nuclei are only stable when packed with certain combinations of positive protons and uncharged neutrons. Some combinations are more stable than others, and the numbers of protons or neutrons in such cases are called ‘magic’. This extra stability is achieved when the subatomic particles fill up certain energy levels within the nuclei, leaving no stray particles hanging around at higher energies.