Nihonium

Nihonium is a special kind of stuff called an element, like the oxygen we breathe or the iron in your toys. But Nihonium is super, super rare and doesn't stick around for long! It's so speedy that the most stable kind of Nihonium disappears in just about 10 seconds. That's faster than you can tie your shoes! Scientists have to be very quick to even see it.

Nihonium wasn't found in nature; scientists had to make it themselves in special labs! Teams in Russia and America first thought they made it in 2003. Then, a team in Japan also made it in 2004.

It took many years and scientists from different countries checking their work to be sure. Finally, in 2016, the scientists in Japan got to name it Nihonium, which sounds like 'Nihon,' the Japanese word for Japan!

Because Nihonium disappears so fast, scientists don't know a lot about it. It's like trying to learn about a firefly that only flashes for a blink! They've only ever made tiny, tiny bits of it. Scientists think that if they could make more, it might be a bit like shiny metals like silver. It's a puzzle they are still trying to solve!

Nihonium's most amazing trick is how quickly it vanishes. This is called radioactivity. The most stable version of Nihonium lasts about 10 seconds. Imagine a superhero that can only use its powers for 10 seconds! Scientists are studying why some of these super-heavy elements, like Nihonium, last a little longer than expected, like finding a hidden treasure.