Francium is the most reactive metal scientists know of... and yet no one has ever watched it react.
In this episode of Kaboom, we dive into the bizarre story of element 87 — the last naturally occurring element ever discovered, one of the rarest substances on Earth, and a chemical ghost that decays almost as soon as it appears. From Mendeleev’s prediction to decades of false discoveries, this is the wild hunt for francium and the overlooked scientist who finally proved it was real: Marguerite Perey.
You’ll learn why francium is believed to be even more violent than cesium, why it’s almost impossible to study, how only tiny numbers of atoms have ever been trapped, and how its discovery changed the periodic table forever.

In this video:
• Why francium should be the most explosive alkali metal
• The 70-year search for element 87
• The false names: russium, alkalinium, virginium, and moldavium
• Marguerite Perey’s breakthrough in Paris
• Why francium is so rare and unstable
• How modern physicists trap and study it with lasers
If you love chemistry, physics, radioactive elements, and strange true stories from science history, this one’s for you.
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