IUPAC announced the names for the next two elements yesterday, flerovium and livermorium.
Flerovium (Fl) is the proposed name for element 114, which was discovered in 1999 by researchers at Flerov Laboratory in Dubna, Russia. This is the same place element 105 (Dubnium) is named after. The 12 year gap between finding and naming a new element isn't surprising. Because there have been many instances of people thinking they've found a new element when they haven't, it takes a long time for a new discovery to be adequately checked. There's still about a 5 month consideration period before the new names are finalized. I think it would be better to use Fv as the abbreviation than Fl because of fluorine, but confusing general chemistry students isn't high up the list of concerns for IUPAC.
Livermorium (Lv) element 116's discovery was also reported by that same Russian group, but is named after Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California.. Originally, they proposed naming it Moscovium, since Dubna is located in the oblast of Moscow. However, IUPAC pointed out that it was the collaboration between the Russians and the Americans that allowed the discoveries to be made, so naming one after each place is more politically correct. Americium, Californium, Berkelium and Lawrencium are all named after the work done here. Don't go trying to updating the Elements Song just yet, 113, 115 and 117 have all been reported and will probably get names within a few years.
