Thanks Jonathan - I'll check the articles you mentioned.
And yes, the idea was quite simple. Sadly, I never got the hang of doing math proofs - and thus the lack of equations. I just rely on my ability to visualize patterns.
Also - I'm poorly read in the area. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the path of thought had already been considered by others and I simply hadn't read about it yet!
The idea came to me when I was reading "Mr. Tompkins Gets Serious" and visualizing the forces that might result in radioactive materials. They seemed very similar to planetary escape velocity, or star clusters in the center of galaxies. All being systems that are unstable for some reason and kick out pieces of themselves as they try to reach a stable state.
The rate they fall apart, or move towards stability, seems to be related to size. A star cluster make wait eons before ejecting a member. The earth may wait centuries before a volcano manages to eject a rock into space. Atoms may go even faster still.
Follow the pattern as it scales down, and it suggests at some point we simply cannot detect the unstable forms because they stabilize too quickly. Ie., the pattern ends because we reach a limitation on ourselves - not because the pattern truly ends.