If you take a close look at the table of the isotopes, with the stable isotopes highlited, you'll notice it seems to follow a curve. By tracing this up, we might (theoretically) be able to identify stable elements at the end of the actinide series. It's already been shown that, unforunately, some of the most interesting behaviors occurr in radioelements (elements where all known isotopes are radioactive) For example, some late-series transuranics have been found to convert heat directly into electricity, much more efficiently then our convoluted methods of semiconductor heating and steam turbines. Promethium does a similar thing with ultraviolet light.

What's needed, then, is a method of controlling radiation exposure much more minutely, so that we can induce the formation of these stable isotopes. This can be tested on light-weight forms of elements known to have stable isotopes.

How about a fairly short particle accelerator (such as a cyclotron) with BLOODY HUGE magnets. What must be done is to move a particle at just the right speed, and it has to hit the isotopes before they decay (obviously, this can only be done with elements that have halflives of at least a few years, unless they're fresh out of a reaction, where they still better live at least a few minutes.)

The radioactives with useful non-nuclear properties include:

Ununoctium (DISPUTED) - which could theoretically produce florescent lights brighter than anything we've ever seen. Much less gas and electricity spent producing light

Promethium, Berkelium, and Seaborgium, as listed above.

Plutonium - Stable plutonium would make excellent shielding for military and other equipment that needs to absorb a rough shock, since it tends to very high densities.

Radon - Known to do what ununoctium may do if its existence is confirmed, although not quite as well.

Of course, this is all moot if some of these properties are the result of the element's radioactivity, and then there's cost.

Even if it is not cost efficient to produce these for their helpful properties, this thing would still be useful for getting rid of nuclear waste, though.
-- clothist, Nov 04 2003

I think I preferred the oversized draught horses...
-- DrCurry, Nov 04 2003


Live out your half-life here, [clothist]. But feel free to decay at a faster rate.
-- lintkeeper2, Nov 04 2003


They're already working towards this. They have to be successful at actually creating these substances before we can create stable versions. For all we know, the dripline (the line of stability) ends at Bismuth.

Sorry, but I fail to see the new idea, unless it's the new sort of particle accelerator...
-- Detly, Nov 04 2003


There is no new idea, now is there?! IS THERE, ALEX?! HAHAHAHA!!!! NO! NO THERE ISN'T, ASSHAT! SHUT THE FUCK UP! ^_^
-- LeninChild, Jan 27 2004



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