How the 113th Atomic Element Was Created
On November 30, 2016, the Japanese scientists who had discovered element 113 on the Periodic Table officially named it Nihonium, making this a first for Japan. A group of scientists at RIKEN led by Dr. Kosuke Morita of Kyushu University discovered the new element. Synthesizing it was theoretically simple as they just needed to collide the respective nuclei of a zinc atom (atomic number of 30) and a bismuth atom (with an atomic number of 83) and cause nuclear fusion. However, the nuclei are incredibly small at about one-trillionth of a centimeter in size, and even when collided, the probability of creating the new element is extremely small at one in 100 trillion. That is why the researchers continued to bombard bismuth with a large amount of zinc ions.
Dr. Kosuke Morita and his colleagues confirmed their first synthesis of a new element in 2004. However, proving creation of the new element involved confirmation that it changed into a known nuclide after it decayed. So the researchers spent an additional 8 years to synthesize and verify 3 more atoms of element 113. We'll take an in-depth look at how they succeeded in creating the new element.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
Chicago P.D.
District 21 of the Chicago Police Department is made up of two distinctly different groups. There are the uniformed cops who patrol the beat and go head to head with the city's street crimes. And there's the Intelligence Unit, the team that combats the city's major offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond. These are their stories.
Chicago Fire
No job is more stressful, dangerous or exhilarating than those of the Firefighters, Rescue Squad and Paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51. These are the courageous men and women who forge headfirst into danger when everyone else is running the other way and whose actions make the difference between life and death. These are their stories.
LOL: Last One Laughing UK
Famous for his dark humour, one-liners and THAT laugh, Jimmy Carr challenges 10 of Britain's funniest comics to spend the day together without so much as a titter. The rules are simple: laugh and you're out. Over the course of the series, they will use every ounce of their comedic talents to try and break their opponents - without cracking up themselves. And it's not just their rivals they need to watch out for. The series is packed with comedy cameos, format twists and surprises designed to lure laughs from both the players and the viewers. It's a stellar line up of British comedy talent as you've never seen them before, but who will be crowned the inaugural winner of Last One Laughing UK?
