Astatine is the rarest element on Earth, and it’s estimated that only an ounce exists on the whole planet at any time. This is less than a teaspoon-full! Astatine is extremely radioactive and unstable and is made when heavier elements decay. As it’s so rare and has a super short life span there aren’t any practical uses for it except for scientific study, which is very difficult as it decays so quickly. Scientists think that it could be used to treat certain diseases like thyroid cancer, to help kill cancer cells in the thyroid gland.
This is a general science zone, so you will meet five scientists who all work in different areas. One is working out how we can make robots predict the future and another is researching how to detect heart disease earlier. You will also meet a scientist who works in a blood transfusion laboratory, and one who studies particles so small that billions pass through us every second without us noticing.