Update: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has confirmed the name “Copernicium” for element 112 and given it the symbol Cn. The first choice for the chemical symbol, “Cp”, was rejected. IUPAC give their reasons here (pdf):

“We note that an initial proposal by the discoverers that Cp be the symbol for copernicium was found not to be acceptable principally because this symbol had earlier been used for element with atomic number 71 (lutetium) which, prior to 1949, had cassiopeium as an alternative allowed name.”

IN THE next few weeks, a new name will appear in the periodic …