I was just listening to a video lecture , one of the MIT OCW lectures. The lecture was an introduction to chemistry and dealt with the periodic table, atoms etc. In conclusion, the prof said that a new element was just discovered, with zero protons, but three hundred -odd neutrons cosisting of vice neutrons, assistant neutrons etc.... and the element was named Administratium with symbol Ad and the name was put up for approval to the IUPAC... and some properties-you can guess what properties. All in a serious tone.
A nice drama, amusing, though carried to a little excessive length. But my point is this- if I ever did such a thing in my class, barring maybe 10 or 15, the rest of the class would have written it as an answer to my exam question on the periodic table/ heavy elements. They would have believed it.
But what is even funnier, is that when my daughter was in school, one of her classmates told the Chemistry teacher that a new element was discovered and it was named Linkinpark and the teacher believed it. Of course, not having teenage kids does give you a disadvantage..you dont keep up to date with rock bands.