Both of the new members were born at the same Russian lab, Russia's Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, located in Dubna, Russia in partnership with scientists from Lawrence Livermore. Element 114, previously known as ununquadium, has been named flerovium (Fl), after the Russian institute's Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions founder, which is named in honor of Georgiy Flerov (1913-1990), a Russian physicist. Flerov was a longtime penpal of Uncle Joe Stalin and worked on Russia's nascent nuclear program.
The researchers got their first looksee at flerovium after firing calcium ions at a plutonium target.
Element 116, temporarily named ununhexium, almost ended up with the name moscovium in honor of Moscow, where the research labs are located. Uncle Sam won out and the team settled on the name livermorium (Lv), after the national labs and the city of Livermore in which they are located. Livermorium was first observed in 2000, when the scientists created it by mashing together calcium and curium.
Don't expect to see these two new elements on your daily walk, they are unstable and can't live outside the laboratory. They are called "super heavy," or Transuranium, elements and degrade rather quickly. Both of these new guys are in a five month public comment phase before they can be totally accepted. I am sure that they will be a great addition to the neighborhood.
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