Pushing nature ’ s envelope could also shed light on the ultimate origins of matter in the Big Bang and stellar furnaces , how particles self-establish into distinct elements and more . “ We ’ re trying to answer the fundamental question , ‘ Where does matter end ?’” says Shaughnessy . Overall , the coming crop of new super heavy elements and different isotopes looks set to facelift our understanding of nature at the atomic level . “ In nuclear physics , there are many frontiers ,” says Sherrill . “ This is a story where we don ’ t know the ending .”