The next heaviest element in the periodic table, the inert gas helium, is used for detecting cracks in pressure vessels and the like.

ECONOMIST: Tech.view: Hydrogen tries again | The

As for updating the periodic table, element 118 would slot in just below radon in the column that contains inert gases.

ECONOMIST: Nuclear physics

Silicon is a chemical element (Si), which can be found on the Periodic Table.

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To see whether the next magic number is nearby in the periodic table, the experimenters will now try to produce element 120 by bombarding a plutonium target with a beam of iron ions.

ECONOMIST: Nuclear physics: Magical shell game | The