What element has the symbol 'Sm'?

The story behind the answer

Sm is the symbol for Samarium, a silvery rare-earth (lanthanide) metal with atomic number 62. It’s important in samarium–cobalt (SmCo) permanent magnets, acts as a strong neutron absorber in nuclear reactors, and is used medically as samarium-153 to relieve bone cancer pain.

Origin story: Samarium was named after the mineral samarskite, itself honoring Russian engineer Vasili Samarsky-Bykhovets—the first element indirectly named after a person. Memory tip: Sm = SaMarium (first and last letters). Don’t mix it up with Sc (Scandium), Se (Selenium), or Si (Silicon).