The Disappearing Spoon Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Extending the Table, Expanding the War
Summary:
In chapter 7 of the book, Kean is mostly talking about the new elements that were discovered during the Cold War. The author first focuses attention towards Edwin McMillan who is able to make the first transuranic element; he named this element neptunium. McMillan and his colleagues then went on to discovering element 94 by letting the neptunium seep; the scientists named this element plutonium. The author then mentions how Ghiorso and Seaborg were the ones who were able to find a lot of elements, more than anyone else in history. They were able to discover elements 95 and 96 as they messed around with plutonium and radioactive particles; they decided to name these elements americium and curium. They continued on and soon were able to discover berkelium and californium. Afterwards, they were able to find elements 99 and 100 as well. Even though it took them awhile, they were able to discover element 101; they named this element mendelevium after Dmitri Mendeleev, despite it being an unpopular choice during the Cold War.
Kean then moves along into talking about the naming rights conflict between the Dubna team and the Berkeley team. The  Dubna team (russians) were the ones who discovered elements 104 and 105. However, the problem began when the Dubna team and the Berkeley team both discovered element 106 in 1974. Because this naming dispute grew, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) had to interfere to resolve this naming dilemma. The IUPAC sent nine scientist to the labs to observe for numerous amount of weeks when finally they had came to a conclusion. The IUPAC made a list which had seaborgium (106), rutherfordium (104), dubnium (105), bohrium (107), hassium (108), and meitnerium (109). This chapter also had information about Joseph Stalin and the changes he made while having control over the Soviet Union in 1929.
Reflection:
I really enjoyed reading this chapter because I learned so much that I hadn't learned before. Before reading this chapter, I wasn't aware that Joseph Stalin didn't believe in the idea of living things inheriting their traits and genes from their parents. It was also very interesting to know how naming elements is really significant to the scientists who discovered them. I also found it interesting how science was affected when Stalin came to power of the Soviet Union because the process to discover elements was slowed down. I liked how the IUPAC was able to step in and resolve the dispute of naming the elements. Overall, I really enjoyed this chapter.

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