Periodic Table of Videos
The University of Nottingham, in England, has put a high-tech twist on the periodic table, creating a clickable version that points to short YouTube clips about each element.
The Periodic Table of Videos, as their creation is called, features 118 videos, each about 2 minutes long. Scientists perform experiments with the elements or describe unusual properties of each one. In the clip about Beryllium, for instance, a researcher refuses to open a jar holding a sample of the element, explaining that exposure to it can cause a rare and deadly disease. (Another researcher interviewed in the video explains that the element is used in the processing of medical X-rays.)
The “most watched” elemental video, according to the site, is the one for Sodium. If you drop sodium into water, the reaction is explosive, as researchers demonstrate.
Source: Jeffrey R. Young. “A Video Version of the Periodic Table.” The Wired Campus (Chronicle of Higher Education), August 22, 2008.
Praise
“I not only liked it, but loved it… like the best reality show I saw.”
Roald Hoffmann, Nobel prizewinner (chemistry)
“It is great use of the new dynamics of communication for education.”
Sir Harry Kroto, Nobel prizewinner (chemistry)
“Brilliant… There is so much wasted money in science communication, which makes it particularly great to see something that is fun, informative, witty and charming.”
Simon Singh, author of Fermat’s Last Theorem
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