Jul 18 2009Yay!: Element 112 Finally Gets Official Name
That's right folks, the recently recreated element 112, which was temporarily known as Ununbium, has finally got it's official name. And it is, drumroll please....Copernicium! Named after Nicolaus Copernicus (who may or may not be the lovechild of Michael Phelps and Andy Samberg), the decision was a throwback to honor one of the world's greatest wizards (suck it, Harry!).
By choosing to honor the father of the heliocentric solar system, element 112 discovery team leader Sigurd Hofmann wanted to avoid the divisive names selected for past elements, salute an influential scientist who didn't receive any accolades in his own lifetime, and highlight the link between astronomy and Hofmann's own field of nuclear chemistry.
The idea was to go backwards, to honor someone who was not greatly honored in his lifetime," said Hofmann. "[Copernicus] had to be very careful when he was publishing his works. His book was published the day of his death. He was afraid to make his announcements during his lifetime, so he wasn't honored when he was alive."
Ironically, Popular Science, the website where I got the story, erroneously called the new element Copernicum, which is something entirely different. Oh yeah baby, talk retrograde to me.
Newly Discovered Element 112 Named "Copernicum" [popsci]
Thanks to Ari, who, despite a valiant effort, didn't get enough signatures on the petition to name the element Geekologyn.
Reader Comments
1. dave - July 18, 2009 4:20 PM
third
2. Pat - July 18, 2009 4:22 PM
thirty-eighth.
3. TheOneOnTheLeft - July 18, 2009 4:26 PM
what a bad name
why not geekologium?
or novelteagleadium?
who names these things anyway?
i mean, oxygen? pah
4. Hennessy - July 18, 2009 4:26 PM
He does have a resemblance to Micheal Phelps...
5. dave - July 18, 2009 4:51 PM
@4 and andy samberg
6. Pistol Pete - July 18, 2009 5:07 PM
All I see is Weird Al. I mean, everywhere I go. I see Weird Al. I'm closing my eyes right now and I still see him. This new medication sure makes me feel funny. Schlemeel, schlemazel, hasenfeffer incorporated. The professor and Maryanne, believe it or not, I'm walking on air, I never thought I could feel so eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it, hey is that Weird Al? Hi, I'm Pooter the Labradoodle.
7. Dishy Dishyington - July 18, 2009 5:09 PM
Looks like he was able to keep an eye on two things at once.
8. O2L - July 18, 2009 5:58 PM
Megatronium would have been better.
9. blanca - July 18, 2009 6:06 PM
scientists just like to tease little kids with these long names... i'm having a baby right away just to make him/her hate chemistry...
they should just name it as if it were a big sentece!...
112- love
113- it
114- hard
10. Yep - July 18, 2009 6:08 PM
I can't believe they rejected my suggestion of naming the element dildonium. My suggestion was based on the amazing property of the element in the application as vibrator wax.
11. Watch-303 - July 18, 2009 6:23 PM
the original name was better.
12. Jebus - July 18, 2009 6:52 PM
What a handsome young fellow.
13. twoj stary - July 18, 2009 6:57 PM
POJEBAŁO was jebane huje!!:) i love usa!!
14. Leonidas - July 18, 2009 7:02 PM
Popular Science's faux pas is quite funny—it reminds me of all those nozzles who go around calling aluminium "aluminum."
15. Chuck Nunchuck - July 18, 2009 7:52 PM
for being a saturday, this place is packed! what's everyone doing tonight? I will be watching Ichi The Killer with my grandma.
16. rusty - July 18, 2009 8:02 PM
@15
good idea. i'm gonna shotgun beers with my grandma and yell at imaginary cats on the porch. it's just saturday after all, no need to change the routine.
17. Christopher Edwards - July 18, 2009 11:27 PM
I can't help but stare at those redonk cheekbones.
18. Annie - July 19, 2009 3:36 AM
Ha ha, poor Harry.
19. datingcougar - July 19, 2009 8:46 AM
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20. ~zeus~ - July 19, 2009 9:21 AM
in croatian: upomocnijum
21. Tulip - July 19, 2009 11:08 AM
They should of called it:
Geekologium
Noveltyeagleheadium
Screwchemistrium
Booztonium.
Vote 0n your favourite. :P
22. naas - July 19, 2009 11:51 AM
'i want the novelty eagle head' is how I address people when I enter the room today
23. Pistol Pete - July 19, 2009 12:25 PM
Seriously
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/weird-al-yankovic.jpg
24. Daisy - July 19, 2009 1:15 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene in the movie NEver BAck DOwn where MAx was being interviewed about his band, and he showed the meathead interviewing himn the amplifiers which go to 11. This way when youre at 10 you have a little more you can give it.
25. Poodlepie - July 19, 2009 1:37 PM
Thats one sexy picture. I'm moist.
26. Ciao - July 19, 2009 3:06 PM
do not want
27. Hennessy - July 20, 2009 4:04 AM
@5
Maybe they both got a kid, and sent him to the past to do what he did ( i totally forgot why he's significant and I'm too lazy to read it again
@23
i bet someone jus painted a pic of weird al and said it's that guy from way back when....i smell weird al-alien-government-old dead people conspiracy. *sniff sniff*
@25
*drip drip*
28. Jaded Icon - July 20, 2009 7:05 AM
Actually, that's a current picture of STOMPY dressed for church. He never goes, but that doesn't mean the intent wasn't there. His grandfather usually tells him that he's a hippie and he needs a haircut. But we know the truth. STOMPY is secretly a rockstar.
29. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - July 20, 2009 11:16 AM
DAMNIT!!! Elements CANNOT BE "CREATED"!!!!
FAKE!
30. Paul Single - July 31, 2009 5:31 AM
i am devastated my suggested name "Fibonaccium" was't chosen. this was to celebrate the Fibonacci sequence 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34 etc
cant win em all
Paul