The periodic table is set to get bigger, now that three labs have independently made atoms of element 114. There’s still one big uncertainty though – should it be classified as a metal or as a noble gas? In February, an element with 112 protons in its atomic nucleus was recognised and named copernicium by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). A similar honour should shortl
![Element 114 on the brink of recognition](https://cdn-ak-scissors.b.st-hatena.com/image/square/95e74c6d87b13f18402d00280c5faf2881d9bc62/height=288;version=1;width=512/https%3A%2F%2Fimages.newscientist.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F04%2F17102106%2Fnew-scientist-social-meta-image.png)