It's sciencey!

[mmcirvin]

1. Backlit Saturn.
2. Ununoctium, the noble gas after radon.
3. This Wikipedia featured picture showing Lorentz transformations in action is really clever.

Comments

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Why are they eager to discover element 120 and not element 119?

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

Not sure. I was thinking it might have something to do with the theorized Island of Stability, but that's not right.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

...oh, right: I think the even-proton-numbered nuclei are stabler for reasons involving the Pauli exclusion principle and filled shells.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

...uh, that should be filled orbitals. Just as with electrons in atoms, you get paired identical particles of opposite spin.