Considering that only a handful of atoms of nobelium have been made, the most interesting thing about the element is perhaps the drama surrounding which team gets the credit for its discovery. First, in 1958, Swedes made the claim that they were able to make some in their Nobel Institute. The Americans then looked over the data and couldn't repeat the experiment casting doubt on the discovery but, at the same time, they said that an alternate method did yield some of the new element. This being the height of the Cold War the Russians then claimed to have discovered it too and all the meanwhile each team hinting that their work should be considered to have been the first to conclusively prove the production of nobelium. It wouldn't be until much later, in 1992, that the issue was settled by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, the body with ultimate authority in these matters, that the award of discovery should be awarded to the Russian team for their experimental work done back in 1966. In a conciliatory move that offended the victors, however, the IUPAC still allowed the naming rights to go the Swedish team.

At the risk of further offending the fragile sensibilities of Russian scientists, on offer we give this cube with an old print of Alfred Nobel.