HALLSVILLE The Hallsville Bobcats are four rounds deep in the playoffs and if you were to ask different players what the key to their success has been so far this year, youd likely hear about their team chemistry. Macailyn Wilder, Lance Lassen and Jacob Walker are the three outfielders and they say chemistry is something you can never overlook. Wilder, a senior left fielder, said thats definitely the difference between this year and last year. I think we just all get along better, he said. We sometimes fight and argue, but it makes us stronger and a better team bond. Walker, a junior center fielder agrees and said, We all have each others backs. I think its not just a matter of winning but all of us growing up together that helps develop chemistry. A lot of us have known each other for a long time. Head coach Scott Mitchell says his teams chemistry is unique. Chemistry is something that not every team has, he said. Its something that is special for each group. These guys love being around each other. According to senior right fielder Lassen, that chemistry extends far beyond what happens on the field. We just help … Continue reading →

5 hours ago (Left to right) Ken Gregorich, Jackie Gates, Heino Nitsche It's now more or less official: element 117 will have a seat at the periodic table. Earlier this month an international team of scientists that included researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's Nuclear Science Division found two atoms of superheavy element 117. The experiment, conducted at a particle accelerator at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany, builds on the previous 117 experiment by a different team working in Dubna, Russia in 2010 that identified six atoms of the superheavy element. Heino Nitsche leads Berkeley Lab's superheavy-element research. The group is involved in not only in the verification of new elements like 117, but also in figuring out the best ways to do chemistry experiments with the few, fleeting atoms on the roster of superheavies. He and staff scientists Kenneth Gregorich and Jackie Gates recently discussed their roles in the new 117 experiment. They also described how their team, which includes scientist Greg Pang, does chemistry one atom at a time. First of all, why do superheavy elements matter? Heino Nitsche: The question is why elements matter, period. It's because they are part of … Continue reading →