Word: californium
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Dates: during 1950-1950
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...scientists named their creation "californium" after their state and university. They did not manufacture much of it. The curium they used was an invisible film weighing a few millionths of a gram, and only a small fraction of it changed into californium. The new element proved so radioactive that half of it disintegrated in 45 minutes. It took fast action to identify it and measure some of its properties before it vanished...
Seaborg and his associates are understandably proud of their new element. By theoretical figuring, they predicted in advance what it would be like. Then, after the feat of creation, they found that californium was just as they expected...