Supergeek!

Life, or, more properly, nature, imitates art. From the BBC for a few days ago:

Kryptonite is no longer just the stuff of fiction feared by caped superheroes.

A new mineral matching its unique chemistry - as described in the film Superman Returns - has been identified in a mine in Serbia.

It ain't green and it doesn't glow, but it's a damn close match.

It seems that researchers discovered an unusual mineral aid asked for help from Dr. Chris Stanley, a mineralogist at the Natural History Museum in London.

"Towards the end of my research 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 Luthor from a museum in the film Superman Returns.

"The new mineral does not contain fluorine (which it does in the film) and is white rather than green but, in all other respects, the chemistry matches that for the rock containing kryptonite."

Okay, if you want to be mundane, it's just a new mineral with some possible commercial value. Still, as far as I'm concerned, the "new" part makes it cool - even without the caped crusader.