Welcome, Darmstadtium (Ds), Roentgenium (Rg), and Copernicium (Cn)—three new elements that joined the Periodic Table earlier this month. None exist in nature. In fact, they don't exist very long even in the laboratory. But there they are, nonetheless. Update your favorite mnemonic device accordingly. (Via DNLee)

  • AetherWeaver

    This reminds me of the Periodic Table rant in the Dead Milkmen song “The Fez”

  • relawson

    I bet these will be in the discounted soon! http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/8a2f/

    • AetherWeaver

      It looks like Copernicium is the only one missing from the curtain.

  • http://twitter.com/taro3yen taro3yen

    So…
    Humor my feeble memory: How many “proven” elements are there now?  121? 

    And more importantly, where can we see the new redrawn Periodic Table? Pics or it didn’t happen.

  • Zhiva

    There’s antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium…

  • Glen Able

    I really hate these uninspired names :( 

    Copernicium especially – it’s the most clunky 5 syllables imaginable, and would have been much nicer if it just ended in “icum”.

    Although, I guess, you can’t do much chemistry with the half dozen or so atoms that have been made, so it’s not yet feasible to come up with names with any real meaning.  But check out the etymologies for Copernicium’s homologues (zinc, cadmium, mercury) to see what we’re missing.

    • s2redux

      Uninspired? Perhaps if they’d named it Biebericium or Hundredtwelvium. In light of your example ‘cadmium,’ the choice of Copernicium seems like a great fit. Cadmus was a myth-spawner; Copernicus was a myth-buster. Cadmus birthed an empire; Copernicus toppled one (albeit in different ‘spheres,’ as it were). Cadmus was a giant mythic figure; Copernicus (as were all those whose names adorn elements 96 and up) was a real giant. What’s not to like about Copernicium?

      • http://halfbakedmaker.org Robert Baruch

        Perhaps if they’d named it Biebericium or Hundredtwelvium.

        Hundredtwelvium would have been better than what they currently use for unnamed elements. Prior to its naming, it was One One Twoium in mangled Greek: Ununbium.

      • Glen Able

        Ah well I’m not knocking Mr. Copernicus; we all agree he was a damn good chap.  But my point is rather that he doesn’t seem to have any connection to this particular element.

        There are *stories* behind cadmium’s name – the calamine ore from which it was isolated, and the Greek character Cadmus from which that name arose.  Whereas (I am wildly speculating) copernicium has been named by a bunch of guys voting for a name from a list of scientistic celebrities who already have their name slapped all over moon craters etc.

        • s2redux

          Right; recasting my vote then…for “Gesellschaft_für_Schwerionenforschung-ium” ;-)

  • rabidpotatochip

    Darn, still no bolognium.

  • Quibbler

    I’ve got an IUPAC periodic table on my wall from 2005 and it has Darmstadtium (Ds), Roentgenium (Rg) on it (but not Cn). So I don’t think they have just been added.

    IUPAC are a bunch of pedants that would put out such a periodic table if the name was not fully confirmed.

  • sigdrifa

    Darmstadtium? Oh boy… I think I’ll never ever again admit the fact that I’m German in front of a scientist. Nothing against Darmstadt (hey, they have a mayor from the Green party ;-) ) but this is ridiculous.