Einstein’s namesake elemental particle is the end of the line in our recently concluded project that birthed a smidge of curium. A fraction of that smidge turned (is now turning) into berkelium which, through its own atomic-level violence, brings to the fore an almost incalculably small quantity of californium. And then, every so often, the gods that rule the quantum realm decide to cleave californium into a shower of exotic particles with a little bonus in the form of a new atom of einsteinium.

The lovingly named Es-254 is an unwieldy isotope; a consortium of way too many subatomic entities to be reigned in together for long. Probabilistically, these newly formed atoms remain whole for about a year before going poof. The resulting new, smaller atom, too, will continue to eject protons and neutrons until it gets to the relatively stable uranium-238. Of course, that too will eventually continue to degrade all the way down to a slim crew of 206. That yields an unsexy, non-headline grabbing bit of… lead. Such an undignified end for an atom that once proudly counted itself the very largest among the half an octillion or so other atoms that make up this two inch cube!

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