New Elements Named

["Michael P. Grissom" <mikeg@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

The following was posted by Phynews (American Institute of
Physics listserver):

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THE NAMES OF ELEMENTS 104-109 have finally been accepted
by nuclear scientists and certified by the International Union of Pure
and Applied Chemistry.  The delay over the names was caused
partly by  rival claims to priority; the pertinent experiments
rendered  mere handfuls of atoms.  Physics and chemistry students
worldwide will now have to memorize the following additions to the
Periodic Table: Rutherfordium (abbreviated Rf, element 104),
Dubnium (Db, 105), Seaborgium (Sg, 106), Bohrium (Bh, 107),
Hassium (Hs, 108), and Meitnerium (Mt, 109).  (The New York
Times, 4 March 1997.)