Big Ideas Lab: "Element Discovery"

Mission.org | September 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Big Ideas Lab takes listeners behind the scenes at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to explore the fascinating world of element discovery. With insights from pioneering scientists, it uncovers why creating new elements—many of which exist only for fractions of a second—matters deeply for scientific progress. The show blends colorful analogies and stories of challenges in ultra-high-stakes experiments, ultimately revealing how these efforts broaden our understanding of the universe’s fundamental building blocks.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Chemistry Paradox: From Table Salt to Superheavy Elements

(00:46 – 01:42)

• Everyday items like table salt are formed from hazardous elements (sodium and chlorine), yet their combination is stable and essential.
  • "In its elemental form, sodium will be highly reactive and you will deeply regret licking it." — Scientist/Researcher (01:15)
  • A lighthearted aside: “There's a periodic table that's titled: Can I lick it?” — Scientist/Researcher (01:37)
• This simple chemistry transformation is juxtaposed against the creation of entirely new, synthetic elements in labs, far more complex and fleeting than salt.

2. The Hunt for Superheavy Elements

(02:21 – 03:42, 05:55 – 06:58)

• Discovering superheavy elements—those not found naturally—requires smashing atoms together at high energies.
• Illustration of rarity: “If you go to Stinson Beach and you want to search for the one perfect grain of sand on the entire beach...that's kind of the whole heavy element discovery experience.” — Scientist/Researcher (02:21)
• The pursuit challenges what we know about atomic structure and stability.

3. Atomic Structure and Nuclear Theory

(07:33 – 09:54)

• Atoms comprise a nucleus of protons and neutrons, balanced by the strong nuclear force (an extremely powerful but short-range force).
• "But the cool thing there is that now we're dealing with nuclear theory, which is a description of why elements exist." — Scientist/Researcher (08:20)
• As atomic numbers rise, the task of keeping protons from repelling each other becomes exponentially more difficult.
• The existence of these superheavy elements, even for milliseconds, is possible only because nuclear theory predicts their brief stability.
  • "The super heavy elements exist because nuclear theory says, yeah, that'll hold together at least for maybe a couple of milliseconds..." — Scientist/Researcher (09:54)

4. Creating New Elements: International Collaboration and Extreme Patience

(12:09 – 15:19)

• LLNL collaborated extensively with Russia’s Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, combining Livermore’s rare, carefully prepared target materials with Dubna’s particle accelerator.
  • Logistical hurdles: “You find out that it's up to the pilot of that plane to come out and look at it and decide if they want to take the risk...” — Don Shaughnessy (13:17)
• Discovering new elements is a slow, meticulous process full of waiting and setbacks, demanding resilience and immense patience.
  • “You can sometimes see weeks without a positive result...So really, the one thing that we absolutely have and need for these experiments is patience.” — Don Shaughnessy (14:50)

5. How Scientists Identify a New Element

(15:27 – 16:57)

• New atoms are too tiny and unstable to observe directly.
• Researchers detect their creation by tracking predictable radioactive decay signatures—distinct “fingerprints” left by the atom as it emits particles and energy.
  • “When we did discovery experiments for element 117, we...watched it literally fall apart by spitting out helium atoms...until finally...it splits in half...and then it's all done.” — Scientist/Researcher (16:27)
• The pattern and timing of these decays confirm the formation of new elements, even if the atoms existed for less than a second.

6. Impact and Purpose: Why Push the Limits?

(17:46 – 18:55)

• Discoveries expand the periodic table and inform fundamental physics, helping answer big questions about the nature of the universe.
  • "What it is doing is allowing the next generation of people to understand how materials interact...how our universe is put together." — Don Shaughnessy (17:53)
• The periodic table is not just a teaching aid; it's an essential map for predicting and understanding material behavior.
  • “It's important we get that chart right, and it's important we understand how things work.” — Don Shaughnessy (18:30)
• Scientists chase discoveries they will never see or touch directly—a testament to scientific curiosity and persistence.

7. The Ongoing Race: New Frontiers in Element Discovery

(19:12 – 19:59)

• Research continues globally, with teams in the US, Russia, Germany, and Japan competing to discover elements 119 and 120.
• Every new element adds a valuable clue to the puzzle of matter’s origins and properties, “one impossible atom at a time.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If you go to Stinson Beach and you want to search for the one perfect grain of sand..." — Scientist/Researcher (02:21)
• “You've made something that you will never see, touch, or be able to manipulate at all. You're basically looking for an electronic signal that says, hey, this thing existed and it was gone.” — Don Shaughnessy (18:55)
• “What it is doing is allowing the next generation of people to understand...how our universe is put together.” — Don Shaughnessy (17:53)
• “The super heavy elements exist because nuclear theory says...maybe a couple of milliseconds before it starts falling apart.” — Scientist/Researcher (09:54)

Important Timestamps

• 00:46 – 01:42 — Chemistry paradox: salt and hazardous elements
• 02:21 — Grain of sand analogy for superheavy element rarity
• 05:13 – 05:55 — Elements in daily life and the periodic table explained
• 06:58 – 07:23 — Introduction to superheavy elements and cosmic origins
• 09:54 — Nuclear theory and fleeting lifetimes of new elements
• 12:09 – 15:19 — Collaboration with Russia, logistical hurdles, need for patience
• 16:27 — Detecting new elements via decay “fingerprints”
• 17:53 – 19:12 — Purpose, impact, and the human side of discovery

Conclusion

Element Discovery spotlights the remarkable ingenuity and persistence behind modern alchemy at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. From unconventional international shipping to the patient hunt for atomic fingerprints, every new element discovered is a leap forward in mapping our universe’s most fundamental secrets, even when the evidence lasts just milliseconds.