Breaking News - Xena officially 'Eris'

Didn't know that dmcdona.

At least the discoverer got the choice.

You learn something new...etc.

Dysnomia ?

I always thought Dysnomia (Greek "bad name") was a disease affecting people's memory for the names of things or people.

(aka: "Disaster"= bad Star.....meaning comet.)

Peter.

Aha !

Wilipedia tells me that "Eris" is "Strife, or, in Latin "Discordia" (Discord)

Goes with Dysnomia.

Funny names though.

Peter.

Looks like someone with a sence of humour gave it that name :lol:

Looks like someone with a sence of humour gave it that name :lol:

That reminds me of a research chemist's recent discovery of a new form of sugar / hydrocarbon chain. As it was new, he got to choose the name also. He proposed the name Ignose (to go with sucrose, dextrose, fructose... etc) because he didn't really know what this stuff was. The international body of chemists rejected this name and asked him to choose another. He came up with 'Godnose'! They rejected that too. I can't remember what it eventually ended up as, but at least scientists do have a sence of humour - Gary Larson was a microbiologist, after all, and look where he ended up!

Phil.

It also reminds me of the Iridium satellite phone network. The constellation comprises 66 satellites yet Iridium is element number 77 on the periodic table. Apparently they retained the name Iridium since Dysprosium (element 66) is derived from the root for "Bad idea". I'm not so sure about that story although Wikipedia does repeat the tale at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_(satellite) ... seeing as the consortium went bankrupt at first then Iridium seemed a sensible choice of branding :-)

John

Thats a funny small story alright John, never knew that one!