Facts in News

Facts in News

Einsteinium (Es)

Source:  Britannica

• Synthetic element named after Albert Einstein.:
• Difficult to create and highly Radioactive (Unstable)
• Symbol: Es and atomic number 99.
• discovered in 1952 in the debris of the first hydrogen bomb
  • (the detonation of a thermonuclear device called “Ivy Mike” in the Pacific Ocean)
• Half-Life: The time required to reduce the quantity of material by half.
  • Es-254: 276 days: More workable due to longer life
  • Es-253: 20 days
• Till now, there is no known use of this element.
• Scientists are studying its bonding with other atoms using X-rays in Particle Accelerator
  • Few future usages may be in
    • Nuclear Power Production
    • Radiopharmaceuticals
• IUPAC is the apex body responsible for naming and assigning symbols

World’s smallest reptile?

Source: IE

• A chameleon discovered in the island country of Madagascar by scientists may be the world’s smallest adult reptile
• The discovered species is Brookesia nana, or nano-chameleon, has a body of just 13.5mm
  • Female of this species is far bigger at around 29mm.
• It may be threatened by extinction due to limited known habitat in a degraded montane rainforest in northern Madagascar.
  • Its habitat is facing a threat of deforestation.
• Previously the chameleon species Brookesia micra was considered the smallest.

Denmark to create world’s first energy island in the North Sea

Source: BBC

• It is a project to build a giant artificial island which will provide enough green energy for three million households
• It will boast of 200 giant offshore wind turbines.
• It will help to fulfil Denmark’s Climate Act’s commitment of
  • reducing GHGs emission by 70% from 1990 levels by 2030 and
  • becoming CO2 neutral by 2050.
• It will also supply energy to neighbouring countries.
• Initially, it will produce 3 GHz which will later be increased to 10 GHz.