Europium

Erasmus Darwin was born in Elston in Nottinghamshire in 1731 and was an English physician.

One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor and poet.

His poems included much natural history, including a statement of evolution and the relatedness of all forms of life.

He was the grandfather of naturalist Charles Darwin.

It is named after the continent of Europe. 

It is a moderately hard, silvery metal which readily oxidizes in air and water.

Since it is a good absorber of neutrons, europium is being studied for use in nuclear reactors. 

Europium is used in the printing of euro banknotes. It glows red under UV light, and forgeries can be detected by the lack of this red glow.