Seaborgium

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A synthetic, radioactive element with the atomic number 106, primarily produced in laboratories and not found in nature
2. An unstable, non-occurring element that is created through particle acceleration processes, often studied in nuclear chemistry
3. An artificially synthesized, highly unstable element that contributes to research in atomic theory and advanced materials science

Etymology: Seaborgium is named after a living person, which is unusual for a chemical element. Glenn T. Seaborg, the American chemist who led the research team that made and identified several heavy transuranium elements at the University of California, Berkeley, had his name attached to element 106 while he was still alive. The name combines his surname with "-ium," the suffix chemists use for metallic elements, following the same pattern as earlier elements named for scientists, such as curium and einsteinium. The name was not accepted without dispute. Because the element was produced in very small quantities and its discovery was contested between laboratories, naming it after a sitting researcher drew objections from some chemists, and the choice became part of a long debate over how new elements should be named. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry eventually adopted the name in 1997, and it has remained in use since.