Could Lemmy End Up on the Periodic Table?
Most days, it seems like the majority of online petitions are little more than well-meaning wastes of time, but here's one Motörhead-inspired call for signatures that's actually kind of brilliant.
Searching for a fitting tribute after the Dec. 28 death of the band's frontman Lemmy Kilmister, a fan named John Wright hit upon the idea of a petition to have one of four recently discovered elements named 'Lemmium' in his honor — a cool idea regardless of the circumstances, but even more fitting given that the elements in question are all heavy metals.
The petition has gathered more than 25,000 signatures as of this writing — a pretty impressive show of support for a campaign that's only just getting started.
Unfortunately, as the A.V. Club notes, the chances of Lemmium ending up on the periodic table are rather slim. Citing a Quartz article, the report points out that there are a number of rules governing the naming of elements, and Lemmy doesn't really fit any of them — although the fact that he has a star named after him could, in Wright's view, let him slip in as a "place or geographical region."
As previously reported, this isn't the only Lemmy-inspired petition making the rounds right now. Efforts are also underway to have a statue in his honor erected outside the Rainbow Room, his favorite bar.
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