Liar physicist

2002/07/16 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Fisika
• Ikerketa-zentroak

In 1999, US laboratory physicists Lawrence Berkeley announced the creation of two new chemical elements, 116 and 118 of the Periodic Table.

The construction of such large elements requires very special physical processes. In fact, by the years 116 and 118, physicists shocked lead and crypton. These gigantic atoms thus created are not stable and are actually undone to form a lot of alpha particles. It is believed that these two elements were detected by scientists.

But two years later they tried to repeat the experiment and found no trace of those elements. The conclusion is that a laboratory operator invented the results and has therefore been discarded.

Now, the group has published an apology article in the 1999 Physical Review Letters magazine, with the exception of one member.