Invented during war, radioactive americium has become a bit of a do-gooder that is – surprisingly - in most homes.
Professor Allan Blackman from AUT tells us how the heavy element 95 was discovered during the Manhattan Project and named geographically - after America - because it sits near the bottom of the periodic table below Europium, which is named after Europe.
Photo: RNZ
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Find out more about events during the United Nation’s International Year of the Periodic Table.
Nights with Bryan Crump is also celebrating the chemical elements during their Friday night Sonic Tonic and Element of the Week.
Professor Allan Blackman is at Auckland University of Technology.
Professor Allan Blackman is a chemist at the Auckland University of Technology. Photo: Auckland University of Technology
