Celebrationic

I was just reflecting, in my endless peregrinations over the Periodic Table, that it is fitting to see the elements that have the honour of being #10, #25, #50, #60, #75 and #100 – all the numbers we like to celebrate in major anniversaries.

#10 is of course neon, the 'new one' as its name means in Greek. When ionised hot, it glows red. How cheerful and symbolic of good fortune!

#25 is manganese, that oddly unappealing neighbour of iron, found in nodules and probably best known for its oxo-salt compound, the ferocious potassium permanganate.

#50 is tin, and not gold; that seems like a sterling reminder of how the hand can deceive the eye.

#60 is neodymium, the 'new twin' – one of those elements nobody ever remembers.

#75 is rhenium, for once a truly valuable metal – it is probably the rarest metal that can be used in engineering and metalwork.

#100 is fermium, named for Enrico Fermi – a rare talent, this; his name is found in an element, a class of subatomic particles, and a rather famous laboratory.

Oh very well, you've caught me out. I was just being idle and entertaining myself again.