Super Heavy Elements and the Island of Stability (Score 2)

Why is this discovery important? If you recall your high school or grade school physical science classes then you're undoubtedly familiar with the electron shell model and its effect in terms of the chemical reactivity of the elements. Nuclear Physics has a similar model where we note that the binding energy per nucleon (ie a proton or a neutron) goes down as the number of protons or neutrons reaches the so called magic numbers. When the number of protons or neutrons reaches the magic number then the nucleus becomes much more stable. If one believes that these magic numbers track for protons and neutrons then the next really stable element will have the proton number 126 (since there is a known island of stability around the number of neutrons equal to 126. As you approach the magic numbers, the nuclei become more stable. No one knows where the island of stability begins for the super heavy elements nor what there properties will be, so it is hard to say what the practical value of this information is. But as a nuclear physicist this is exciting evidence indeed.