# Finding stable superheavy elements

Finding new stable superheavy elements is big interests in nuclear physics.

Nuclides with $$Z>92$$ are not found in nature, but can be made artificially.

Usually these nuclides become more unstable as their atomic number increases.

But, the island of stability predicts there are some stable isotopes of superheavy elements.

My question is why finding stable superheavy element is important?

Is it just for academic curiosity? Or is there some important application?

• Nobody is actually predicting that there would be stable isotopes in the island, only that they would have longer half-lives than otherwise expected based on extrapolation. – user4552 Aug 16 '19 at 19:04

## 1 Answer

Is it just for academic curiosity?

It would be useful to know if our predictions are actually correct, even through there's wide agreement they are.

One could say the same of the Higgs - we already knew what it did and most of its properties. But there was always the nagging doubt that it wasn't there.

Or is there some important application?

No. Well, I guess that depends on who you ask.

• +1 for the gravity warp drive – Simon Aug 16 '19 at 19:21