The experiment produced six unique atoms,

 The experiment produced six unique atoms, 

each with the required 117 protons. It was declared a success in 2012, and four years later, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry – the world authority on chemistry – officially recognized Element 117 as part of the periodic table, along with three other new elements.

Since Phelps was part of a team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other institutions in Tennessee laid the groundwork for discovery, Element 117 was officially named “tennessine” (Ts). It’s the second-heaviest known element on Earth, and though its use is limited to research, scientists believe it is a critical stepping stone toward the creation of future superheavy elements.

“We can’t imagine where tennessine could take us,” said author of “Superheavy: Making and Breaking the Periodic Table” Kit Chapman, noting human-generated elements are used “in smoke detectors, to treat cancers, even to power rovers on Mars.”