Can element 115 be used for anti-gravity?
Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe
Episode Insights
See all- Muscovium, also known as element 115, was once a theoretical element but was successfully synthesized in laboratories in 2003, disproving its previous status as purely fictional.
- Bob Lazar's 1989 claims about element 115's anti-gravity properties and its use in alien spacecraft at Area 51 remain unverified and are treated with skepticism by the scientific community due to the lack of physical evidence and scientific validation.
- Actual scientific properties of element 115 do not support Lazar's claims of anti-gravity technology; instead, they align with the expected behavior of heavy elements in the periodic table.
- The creation of super heavy elements like element 115 is part of ongoing research into atom stability, and while these elements are highly unstable, there's a scientific pursuit to find an "island of stability" with potentially stable, heavy atoms.
- Antimatter, a substance with opposite charges to regular matter, is explored for its potential anti-gravity properties, although experiments such as those at CERN have not yet confirmed that antimatter would behave differently than normal matter under the influence of gravity.
- Exotic matter, which differs from antimatter, is a hypothetical substance with negative mass that is theorized to be necessary for the creation and stability of wormholes, providing a theoretical framework for possible faster-than-light travel via these shortcuts in space.
- The episode underscores the importance of critical thinking and skepticism when evaluating extraordinary claims, using the narratives around element 115 and anti-gravity as examples of where the lines between science fiction and fact can blur.
- Wormholes, while still theoretical, rely on the concept of exotic matter to remain stable, but element 115's synthesis did not demonstrate capabilities that would support its use in such advanced and theoretical technologies.
- Despite being synthesized and added to the periodic table, element 115 has not demonstrated any of the exotic properties, like anti-gravity, that have been attributed to it in popular conspiracy theories.
- The conversation between Daniel and Jorge brings a balance to the excitement surrounding mysteries of the universe with a critical approach to scientific evidence, emphasizing the need to differentiate between imaginative narratives and authenticated scientific discoveries.