Superheavy

Without any compromise in accuracy, the book is compelling, conversational and entertaining, full of great stories and insights into the characters behind the quest. * Chemistry World * Making elements that dont exist in nature is one of the craziest, most painstaking and bold pursuits in all of science, and Superheavy tells that story for the first time, with wit and verve. This deeply researched and engaging tour of the nether reaches of the periodic table will delight and inform everyone from the expert to the reader with only the dimmest memory of the iconic chart of chemical elements on the school lab wall. -- Phillip Ball, author of Beyond Weird With meticulous attention to detail and careful research, Chapman masterfully captures the excitement, politics and competition of the transuranic elements. Chapman's energy and enthusiasm is evident in every interaction, whether he is uncovering elaborate experimental details or unearthing scientific rivalries. -- Jess Wade, Physics Research Associate, Imperial College London To anyone who imagines that the romantic age of elemental discovery ended in the 19th century, Kit Chapmans hugely entertaining account of the discovery of the elements past uranium will be a real eye-opener. Larger than life characters, strange stories of errors, improvisation, and luck (good and bad) abound here. With a solid introduction to the science underpinning the stability and separation of these mysterious and mostly ephemeral species, there is much for everyone to learn and connect with here. -- Andrea Sella, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, UCL, and winner of the Royal Society's Michael Faraday Prize 2014

Kit Chapman is an award-winning science journalist and broadcaster. Initially qualifying as a pharmacist, Chapman began his career on medical journal The Practitioner before moving to Chemist+Druggist, the UK's leading magazine for pharmacists. After stints as campaign website manager for the British Medical Association and clinical editor for The Pharmaceutical Journal, Chapman was appointed comment editor for Chemistry World. Chapman also writes for the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, and has appeared as an expert for the BBC and Sky News. @ChemistryKit

Prologue Introduction PART I: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM Chapter 1: Modern Alchemy Chapter 2: The Secret of Gilman Hall Chapter 3: How to Build a Nuclear Weapon Chapter 4: Superman vs the FBI Chapter 5: Universitium ofium Californium Berkelium Chapter 6: The Death of Jimmy Robinson Chapter 7: Presidents and Beetles PART II: TRANSFERMIUM WARS Chapter 8: Nobelievium Chapter 9: From Russia with Flerov Chapter 10: The East and the West Chapter 11: Xanthasia and the Magic Numbers Chapter 12: Life at the Edge of Science Chapter 13: The Atoms that Came in from the Cold Chapter 14: Changing the Rules Chapter 15: How to Name your Element PART III: THE END OF CHEMISTRY Chapter 16: After the Wall Came Down Chapter 17: The Ninov Fraud Chapter 18: A New Hope Chapter 19: Beams of the Rising Sun Chapter 20: The Edge of the Unknown Chapter 21: Beyond Superheavy Epilogue References Acknowledgements Index