Does Kryptonite Exist?
Kryptonite, the only thing
that can defeat
Superman, but does it
exist?
2007 – • A new mineral matching
kryptonite's unique
chemistry has been
Kryptonite identified by scientists at
the Natural History Museum
Found! and Canada's National
Research Council.
• The large green crystals of
kryptonite have a devasting
affect on the superhero.
However, unlike its famous
counterpart, the new mineral
is white, powdery and not
radioactive. And, rather
than coming from outer
space, the real kryptonite
was found in Serbia.
• Geologists and mineralogists
from mining group Rio Tinto
discovered the unusual
mineral. It didn't match
anything known previously to
science so they sort the help
of mineral expert Dr Chris
Stanley at the Natural
History Museum in London
New Mineral Identified by the
Natural History Museum
• 'Towards the end of my research,' says Dr
Stanley, 'I searched the web using the mineral's
chemical formula, sodium lithium boron silicate
hydroxide , and was amazed to discover that same
scientific name written on a case of rock
containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luther from a
museum in the film Superman Returns'.
• 'The new mineral does not contain fluorine and is
white rather than green, but in all other respects
the chemistry matches that for the rock containing
kryptonite. We will have to be careful with it - we
wouldn't want to deprive Earth of its most famous
superhero!'