Sen. Lamar Alexander’s office this afternoon released a statement on the proposal to name a new element — Element 117 on the periodic chart — as “Tennessine” to recognize the contributions to the discovery by scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University.
Here’s an excerpt from Alexander’s comments:
“Today’s announcement that ‘Tennessine’ is the proposed name of a newly discovered element is a testament to the remarkable Tennessee talent that led to the discovery. The contributions of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee working with Vanderbilt University and other international collaborators remind us of the extraordinary scientific brainpower and technological capabilities in our state.”