Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt explains the origin of element 98's striking green glow, and why the future for californium chemistry is just as bright. A late actinide with twenty known isotopes, californium ...

This element is one of many first made at UC Berkeley in the 1950s. Unlike most manufactured elements, though, this one is actually useful. This is how it starts up nuclear reactions. Researchers ...

Radioactive californium-252 is a prolific neutron emitter, making it useful for examining jet engine parts for defects, finding underground oil and gas reservoirs, bombarding certain tumors, and ...

Storing radioactive waste poses a problem for nuclear power facilities worldwide and often leads to heated debates over the pitfalls of nuclear energy production. Pictured, environmental activists ...

At today’s prices, one gramme of californium-252 can be valued at around $27 million, a figure that can exceed the value of roughly 200 kg of gold depending on where gold is trading. That headline ...

Scientists now understand that the universe forges its heaviest elements, including californium, through extreme cosmic events like neutron star mergers. These cataclysmic collisions provide the ...