# Two new elements named **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 31, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682 "2012-05-31T18:14:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/1 "2012-05-31T18:14:38Z")
[It’s official: 114 is Flerovium, and 116 is Livermorium.](http://www.iupac.org/news/news-detail/article/element-114-is-named-flerovium-and-element-116-is-named-livermorium.html) > [@](#): > > IUPAC has officially approved the name flerovium, with symbol Fl, for the element of atomic number 114 and the name livermorium, with symbol Lv, for the element of atomic number 116. Priority for the discovery of these elements was assigned, in accordance with the agreed criteria, to the collaboration between the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna, Russia) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, California, USA). The collaborating team has proposed the names flerovium and livermorium which have now been formally approved by IUPAC. Not that any of us will ever see the stuff, but it’s still kinda cool. Anyone know what’s up with 115? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/2 "2012-05-31T18:17:24Z")
Great, that’s just more shit that I have to dust. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/3 "2012-05-31T18:24:36Z")
Quoth the IUPAC …_Livermore!_ ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/4 "2012-05-31T18:27:59Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Not that any of us will ever see the stuff, but it’s still kinda cool. Anyone know what’s up with 115? [It looks like 115 was first synthesized](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ununpentium) a few years after either 114 or 116, so I guess its official naming is a few years off. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/5 "2012-05-31T18:30:11Z")
Has it gotten to the point where the IUPAC is now stealing symbols from Adobe? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/6 "2012-05-31T18:35:31Z")
Who discovered Flerovium? Professor Frink? ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/7 "2012-05-31T19:10:07Z")
Is there any scientific point in making these new elements any more? So far as I can tell, we have got way past the stage where any of these elements are of any conceivable use, and also past the point where making them tells us anything new of any significance about physics or any other aspect of the natural world. It seems like money (and expertise) down the drain, just to stoke egos and a passion for stamp collecting. Mundane and pointless indeed. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/8 "2012-05-31T19:27:19Z")
Couldn’t we just start naming elements before they’re created? The next thing in line could be called Waitforitium, or just honor some guys for other things they’ve done with Newtonium and Farnsworthium. You could sell atomic names the way people sell star names, you can have an element called Johmsmithium. Or just add cultural media names like Unobtanium and Upsidaisium. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/9 "2012-05-31T19:28:48Z")
This might seem like a silly questions, but what’s the significance of the -ium in element names? Is it latin? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/10 "2012-05-31T19:38:54Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Is there any scientific point in making these new elements any more? So far as I can tell, we have got way past the stage where any of these elements are of any conceivable use, and also past the point where making them tells us anything new of any significance about physics or any other aspect of the natural world. It seems like money (and expertise) down the drain, just to stoke egos and a passion for stamp collecting. Mundane and pointless indeed. Well, I think there might be a scientific and practical point in finding an [island of stability](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_of_stability) - a string of elements in the periodic table that are more long-lived than the ones we’re making now. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/11 "2012-05-31T20:11:54Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Couldn’t we just start naming elements before they’re created? The next thing in line could be called Waitforitium, or just honor some guys for other things they’ve done with Newtonium and Farnsworthium. You could sell atomic names the way people sell star names, you can have an element called Johmsmithium. Or just add cultural media names like Unobtanium and Upsidaisium. They do. We had unnilpentium (dubnium), unnilhexium (seaborgium), unnilseptium (bohrium), and unniloctium (hassium). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/12 "2012-05-31T20:16:04Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > They do. We had unnilpentium (dubnium), unnilhexium (seaborgium), unnilseptium (bohrium), and unniloctium (hassium). Not exactly. Those are temporary names and they’re the equivalent of 105ium, 106ium, 107ium and so on. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/13 "2012-05-31T20:27:57Z")
For lots of elementary goodness, I highly recommend reading _[The Disappearing Spoon.](http://www.salon.com/2010/07/20/the_disappearing_spoon_sam_kean/)_ ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/14 "2012-05-31T20:29:01Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Who discovered Flerovium? Professor Frink? If Frink discovered anything, wouldn’t it have to be called Glavinium? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/15 "2012-05-31T20:31:56Z")
Oh great, more to memorize. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/16 "2012-05-31T20:34:01Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Oh great, more to memorize. And more work for Tom Lehrer. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/17 "2012-05-31T20:35:42Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > This might seem like a silly questions, but what’s the significance of the -ium in element names? Is it latin? No really, I mean it. Fight my ignorance, g.d. it! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/18 "2012-05-31T20:44:20Z")
Yes, it’s Latin. It comes from the names of metals and I think it just became tradition at some point. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/19 "2012-05-31T20:57:34Z")
Here ya go- > **[Word Information - an English dictionary about English vocabulary words and...](https://wordinfo.info/units/index/I/page:6)** > > Information about English words derived from Latin and Greek sources and English vocabulary words with etymologies plus explanations. and quizzes Info says it’s a metallic element suffix, but it’s also in Helium (from Helios, meaning sun) which of course isn’t a metal, tellurium, and germanium, which are metalloids. Sites I looked at say selenium’s a nonmetal with borderline metalloid properties. With the preceding exceptions, all elements ending in -ium are metals. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682/20 "2012-05-31T21:04:53Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > This might seem like a silly questions, but what’s the significance of the -ium in element names? Is it latin? Not all of them, of course. Americans call the light metal _aluminum_, but the British, with an (arguably) foolish love of consistency, call this _aluminium_. If you want to annoy them, ask them why they don’t say _platinium_. Besides, there are plenty of elements that end in neither _-ium_ or _-um_ – _Nickel, Cobalt, Gold…_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-new-elements-named/623682.md?page=2)