They exist for only seconds at most in real life, but they have gained immortality in chemistry: two new elements have been added to the periodic table.
The elements were recognized by an international committee of chemists and physicists. For now, they are called Elements 114 and 116 — permanent names and symbols will be chosen later.
People are not likely to run into either of them. Scientists make them in labs by smashing atoms of other elements together to create the new ones.
“Our experiments last for many weeks, and typically, we make an atom every week or so,” said Ken Moody, a chemist with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who was part of the discovery team.
