Cm, or curium, is a synthetic element with the atomic number 96. It was discovered in 1944 by scientists Glenn T. Seaborg, Albert Ghiorso, and Glen T. Seaborg while they were studying the products of plutonium decay. Curium is a member of the actinide series and is primarily used in scientific research and as a source of alpha particles in certain applications. Curium is a silvery metal that is radioactive and can be found in several isotopes, with curium-244 and curium-248 being the most common. It has applications in nuclear reactors and can also be used in spacecraft as a power source due to its ability to generate heat through radioactive decay.