The four new elements, discovered by scientists in Japan, Russia and America, are the first to be added to the table since 2011. They will be officially named by the teams that discovered them in the months to come. However, chemist Dr Kat Day has put in an early bid for element 117 to be named “octarine” after Terry Pratchett’s novel The Colour of Magic. In his novel, Pratchett writes that octarine is “the King Colour, of which all the lesser colours are merely partial and wishy-washy reflections. It was octarine, the colour of magic. It was alive and glowing and vibrant and it was the undisputed pigment of the imagination, because wherever it appeared it was a sign that mere matter was a servant of the powers of the magical mind. It was enchantment itself. But Rincewind always thought it looked a sort of greenish-purple.”

A veterinarian’s survey lists the top ten names for dogs and cats in Ireland. The Irish seem way more likely to give “people names” to dogs than to cats!

What can be a name? One mother was recently banned from naming her baby daughter Cyanide, meant as a reference to Adolf Hitler.

A couple from Myanmar have filed for a new name for their two year old son, Justin Bieber. The couple, who is from Myanmar, named their son while living in a refugee camp in Thailand. They have since realized that this name might not be well received as their son grows up in the United States.

On the 4th of February, the Ukrainian Parliament approved changing the names of 175 towns, villages, and districts. The momentous onomastic sweep is a part of the government’s ongoing effort to “de-communize” the nation. Many of the new names that have been chosen are older names which existed before the Soviet influence.

The onomastic makeover has not been with criticism. According to the February 11th issue of Radio Free Europe, many ethnic Russians in the Ukraine have taken offense to this plan.

Not including Presidents Obama, Clinton, Bush, or Reagan, how many US American Presidents can you name in 30 seconds? Now be honest, how many of you included Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Moore, and John Calhoun. If you did, you are in good company.

According to a 2016 psychological study on naming and recognition conducted by H. Roediger & K. DeSoto at Washington University in Saint Louis, many Americans routinely misidentify the names of famous historical figures as US Presidents.

Pumpkin, sweet pea, honey, sugar, bear, tiger, kitten… names scholars have long known that the terms of endearment couples use for one another in private (and in public) come from a wide range of semantic categories.

However, as reported in “Scientific American,” the intimate names partners use may also reveal a lot about their relationship.

Tarantulas are famous among spider- aficionados for their spectacular range of colors. From neon blue, dusty purple, and sunburst orange to soft charcoal grays and milk chocolate browns, the world’s catalog of tarantulas come in a dazzling array of hues.

In 2016, a newly discovered species delighted fans of the eight-legged giant. A sleek, black, newcomer who immediately reminded scientists of the legendary singer-song-writer, Johnny Cash. In honor of the star, the tarantula was named Aphonopelma johnncashi.

In 1996, the Chicago rock group “Survivor” made headlines when it was announced that co-founder James Peterik would be leaving the band. According to a recent lawsuit lodged in the Chicago federal court, it seems that that musical split did not end the association.

According to the lawsuit, Peterik has continued to use the Survivor name without legal authorization. This is not the first time that the legends of US classic rock have made headlines over trademark infringement. In the fall of 2015, the band sued one-time Republican hopeful, Mike Huckabee, for his unauthorized use of the Survivor hit, “Eye of the Tiger” at a rally to support Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, announced that the U.S. fleet will soon be receiving an historic new addition: “the USNS John Lewis”. In an NBCNews interview, Mabus explained the reason why Georgia Congressman and Civil Rights leader John Lewis was chosen for this special honor. “Naming this ship after John Lewis” Mabus stated, “is a fitting tribute to a man who has, from his youth, been at the forefront of progressive, social, and human rights movements in the U.S., directly shaping both the past and future of our nation.”