Two new elements may exist
A group of American and Russian scientists claim to have created two new elements in the laboratory. The new elements, tentatively named ununtrium (element number 113) and ununpentium (115), will be given proper names if and when the discovery is confirmed. The scientists created the new elements by combining two smaller, lighter elements, calcium, and the radioactive manmade element amercium. They managed to make a few atoms of element 115, which lasted for only 90 milliseconds and then decayed into element 113. Very large, manmade elements are highly unstable tending to decay and disappear almost instantaneously. Element 113 however lasted for a full 1.2 seconds, an extremely long time for such a heavy element. The scientists are hesitant to claim that they have truly discovered these elements, as the premature discovery of element 118 in 1999 was later debunked when other scientists could not reproduce the results, a great embarassment for the physics community.
-Zoe Cormier
Source: Nature
White tip sharks disappearing fast
A new census in the Gulf of Mexico shows that white tip shark numbers have decreased by 99 per cent over the past 50 years. Sharks appear to be disappearing worldwide, as silky sharks have decreased by 90 per cent in the Gulf, and hammerhead shark numbers have fallen by 89 per cent in the last fifteen years in the Atlantic. Naturalists blame tuna fishing, as sharks often get caught in nets, and the shark fin trade. Shark fins are considered a delicacy in many regions of the world, and can fetch a high price for fisherman. Canada, the U.S., and Australia have outlawed shark finning, but scientists are calling for a worldwide ban. The white tip shark used to be so common that it was once considered a pest by fishermen. They may have even once been the most abundant large animal in the world, being the dominant species of the world’s largest ecosystem.
-ZC
Source: Nature
