Nihonium (Nh) for Element 113

The table of elements now lists effective October this year a new entry Nihonium as the 113rd element. Nihon is Japan in Japanese and Nihonium means an element discovered by the Japanese - a comforting news, is it not?

After all, Polonium is named after Poland, francium after France and americium the United States. So, Nihonium ois nothing new; it has plenty of precedents.

The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics concluded in its homepage at 10:30 a.m. June 8 that the Kyushu University team led by Professor Kosuke Morita had discovered the atomic element 113.

Professor Morita and his research group at Riken Institute succeeded 13 years ago in artificially discovering the element at a mammoth test equipment in Wako, Saitama, by colliding zinc ions with bismuth.

In his statement issued 22:30 June 8, Professor Morita said in the long history of element discoveries no nation outside Europe and America had ever been involved. He further commented:

"This is the first time a new element was discovered and named in Asia. We thought of many people who had backed us up in our endeavor when we decided to name it Nihonium.

"Once officially recognized by the international body, Nihonium will claim its seat in periodic table of elements. It's a great honor that an element discovered by a Japanese team of researchers lists in the periodic table as an intellectual property of mankind for years ahead."

Some pointed out in passing why not Nipponium instead of Nihonium. Nippon is also Japan in Japanese. Riken Institute cited an incident in 1908 when element 43 was so named by a Japanese researcher and later found erroneous and the application cancelled. Regulations ban any name once used and denied, they said.

A sophomore coed in the science department of Kyushu University finds Nihonium "very becoming", while a freshman economic major feels proud to study at Kyushu with such an eminent professor. Another freshman engineering major pledged to study hard to make valuable contributions "though as great as Professor Morita's". Good show, you guys. (Nathan Shiga)