Fermium: From Ivy Mike to the Edge of the Periodic Table

Fermium is a synthetic, mystery-filled element born from the 1952 Ivy Mike hydrogen‑bomb test and named for Enrico Fermi. In this episode we explore how scientists produce fermium in reactors via neutron bombardment, why it’s so scarce and short‑lived (the most stable isotope has a half‑life of around 100 days), and what its chemistry looks like in solution and in compounds. We’ll dive into the Fermium gap that blocks heavier isotopes, why the element remains mainly a research curiosity, and how studying it helps illuminate the limits of nuclear stability. Finally, we’ll peek at future work—pushing beyond fermium with new accelerators and techniques—and the safety culture that makes handling such radioactive material possible.

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