The world has evolved to run on just 20 elements, or so it seems.
In Natural
Selection of the Chemical Elements (Oxford, £75, ISBN 0 19
855843 0), R.
J. P. Williams and J. J. R. Frausto da Silva explain how humans have
impinged on
this natural selection by adding the rest of the periodic table to their
chemical repertoire and making ample use of “unnatural” elements, in industry
and elsewhere. Ultimately our world will evolve to compensate—and we may
not be around by then to react.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Physics
The weirdness of neutrinos could completely rewrite particle physics
News
91É«ÇéƬ
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
News
Space
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
Culture
Environment
Slowdown of AMOC ocean current may be gradual and reversible
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
2
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
3
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
4
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
5
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
6
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
7
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
8
Slowdown of AMOC ocean current may be gradual and reversible
9
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans
10
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
