The Heaviest Elements: Making 116 and 118 and the Fame Game in Chemistry

Overview

In this Chemistry World episode, the host explores how scientists seek recognition, not only through Nobel prizes but via elemental discovery and the unforgettable drama of creating new atoms. The focus centers on the quest to synthesize the heaviest elements and the real-world challenges and controversies that accompany such feats.

Key insights

• Science fame can be as alluring as any prize, but credibility remains paramount.
• New elements are manufactured in particle accelerators by fusing nuclei in highly controlled experiments.
• Element 116 and 118 were claimed in 1999 by a Berkeley team but later revealed to involve fabricated data, highlighting the fragility of scientific reputation.
• Subsequent confirmation by rival groups cemented the existence of these elements, while the memory of the controversy endured as a cautionary tale.

Introduction: Fame, science and the lure of discovery

The podcast opens with a meditation on fame and its fickle nature, especially in science where recognition often hinges on dramatic discoveries. The host reflects on how Nobel Prizes are memorable to some extent but not universally recognized, and how fame in science can be as elusive as the next great breakthrough. This frames the central theme: what does it take to become famous in chemistry, and what happens when the pursuit of prestige intersects with credibility?

From stars to nuclei: How new elements are made

The episode explains that making a new element is not about finding a unique mineral but about assembling new nuclei from scratch. It traces the logic of building heavier atoms: hydrogen fusion powers stars, but stars exhaust hydrogen and, beyond iron, the primary pathway shifts to neutron capture to increase mass. Neutrons, being uncharged, can slip into a nucleus, and subsequent decay steps move the system toward heavier atomic numbers. To go beyond uranium, experimental teams use particle accelerators to strip atoms to their nuclei, accelerate them to extreme speeds, and collide them with targets. The result is often only a handful of atoms, with extreme instability giving researchers only milliseconds to identify what they have. The description emphasizes the extraordinary subtlety and complexity of these experiments, and how each new atom opens a wholly new chemical landscape to explore.

The heavy-element frontier: The cases of 116 and 118

The narrative then focuses on the peak moment of the hunt for the heaviest elements. In June 1999, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory announced the creation of elements 116 (unihexium) and 118 (yununioctium) by bombarding a lead target with krypton nuclei. The announcement generated enormous excitement because these were the heaviest elements ever created at the time, suggesting a doorway to deeper insights into the atomic nucleus. The methodology represented a new strategy that had paid off with spectacular results, and the Secretary of Energy publicly celebrated the collaboration across borders as a sign that scientific excellence should not be bound by nationality.

The Ninov scandal: Data fabrication and its fallout

However, the excitement soon soured as independent laboratories in Germany and Russia reported discrepancies. An internal investigation revealed that Viktor Ninov, a Bulgarian national and a key figure on the Berkeley team, had fabricated crucial data. Ninov was dismissed, and the Berkeley group faced a formal retraction, a symbolic harakiri in the scientific ecosystem. The scandal extended beyond the initial elements; irregularities surfaced in an earlier discovery Ninov had been involved with, involving elements 111 and 112. The controversy underscored how easily fame can outpace verification, and how trust in data integrity is essential to scientific progress.

Russian confirmation and the completion of the story

Not all was lost for the scientific community. In 2000, Yuri Oganessian’s team in Russia reported a single atom of element 116, and within a few years they demonstrated the production of more atoms of 116 using different isotopes. Element 118 finally achieved synthesis in 2002 via a route that differed from the American approach. These discoveries confirmed that 116 and 118 are real, and their properties have since been explored as researchers map the strange physics of the heaviest known atoms.

Legacy and memory in science

Despite the eventual confirmation of 116 and 118, the episode leaves a lasting impression: the people whose names become synonymous with breakthrough are not always the ones who made the enduring contributions. The memory of Viktor Ninov looms large, illustrating the adage that fame in science can be a fickle mistress. The podcast closes by suggesting that perhaps the future lies in preserving legacies more deliberately, as scientists grapple with how to memorialize and credit monumental work fairly and accurately.

Conclusion

In sum, the podcast uses the heavy-element saga to reflect on how science, fame, credibility, and collaboration intertwine. It highlights the extraordinary challenges of creating new elements, the ethical dimensions of data integrity, and the human stories that shape what we remember about science.