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Apr 24, 2007 11:03 am US/Eastern
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Be Careful Of The Kryptonite, Superman!
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LONDON (CBS4) ―
Kryptonite is a glowing-green crystal feared by Superman, draining him of all his powers, according to the comic books written on the subject.
But now, Superman, must be extra careful, because the crystal that can render him powerless, has been found.
It's a mineral discovered in a European mine in Serbia, in which an English scientist said matches almost what's described in the film "Superman Returns".
The newly discovered mineral is not green, it's white, says Dr Chris Stanley, a mineralogist at London's Natural History Museum. He told the BBC of London that it doesn't glow, and when it reacts to ultraviolet light, it will turn a pinkish-orange, and it doesn't really take away from anyone's power.
But what shocked Dr. Stanley when he researched the mineral's chemical makeup was that it was similar to what was referenced in literature, even though that was comic books and movies.
He said that the mineral's chemical formula, sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide, was the same scientific name written on a "case of rock containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luther from a museum in the film Superman Returns".
Learning that the chemical composition of the material was an exact match to an invented one from comic books and movies "was the coincidence of a lifetime," he added.
But in all, the newly discovered mineral cannot be called kryptonite, which is a real element in the Periodic Table that takes the form of a gas, and because it has nothing to do with the element krypton.
Instead, it will be named Jadarite. Jadar is the name of the place where the Serbian mine is located, where the mineral was found.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)