Question: What was the most recently discovered element, and will we discover any new ones any time soon?

Caroline Roche answered on 18 Mar 2025:

Nihonium (Nh, 113), Moscovium (Mc, 115), Tennessine (Ts, 117), and Oganesson (Og, 118) are the most recently added to the periodic table back in 2016. These elements are synthetic – meaning they are created in a lab and haven’t been found naturally in the universe. For example, Promethium (Pm, 61) was first made in a lab in 1945 but wasn’t found naturally occurring until 1965.

Scientists are currently trying to make more of the super-heavy elements past 118. But these can be difficult to create due to their instability and extremely short life spans. You have to use a particle accelerator to bombard different elements together and hope that your equipment is precise enough to detect the new element.