Big Ideas Lab

Element Discovery

Episode Summary

That periodic table is not just decor. It’s a map... and it's not finished.

Episode Notes

Scientists are still adding to the periodic table and expanding what we know about matter. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, researchers are creating entirely new elements that can’t be found in nature and exist for only moments. In this episode, we step into the world of superheavy element discovery to understand how these rare atoms are made, why they matter, and what they can teach us about the building blocks of the universe.

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Big Ideas Lab is a Mission.org original series. 

Executive Produced by Levi Hanusch.

Sound Design, Music Edit and Mix by Daniel Brunelle. 

Story Editing by Daniel Brunelle. 

Audio Engineering and Editing by Matthew Powell. 

Narrated by Matthew Powell. 

Video Production by Levi Hanusch.

Guests featured in this episode (in order of appearance): 

• Roger Henderson, Senior Radiochemist, LLNL
•  Dawn Shaughnessy, Division Leader for Nuclear and Chemical Sciences, LLNL

Brought to you in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.