1. Comment #210396 by AdrianB on July 14, 2008 at 1:01 pm

Just want to say, what a fantastic idea.

.

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2. Comment #210398 by phil rimmer on July 14, 2008 at 1:04 pm

Fan-bloody-tastic!

I'm looking to accumulate exciting educational resources like this.

Anybody know of any more?

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3. Comment #210399 by Dhamma on July 14, 2008 at 1:05 pm

Great! These videos are really important, as they generally teach in a simple and fun way. Should be more videos that explain the evolution in such a way too, though.

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4. Comment #210400 by Lucas on July 14, 2008 at 1:07 pm

Extremely, extremely cool. Shall we start a vote for favorite element? Count one for nitrogen.

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5. Comment #210405 by Yngve on July 14, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Great stuff.

I also think it's worth mentioning that George Hrab from the Geologic Podcast has dedicated a song to each element. Chemistry suddenly got even more fun, hehe.

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6. Comment #210406 by jimbob on July 14, 2008 at 1:17 pm

My vote goes to secularium!

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7. Comment #210411 by ThoughtsonCommonToad on July 14, 2008 at 1:35 pm

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8. Comment #210416 by Big City on July 14, 2008 at 1:45 pm

Freaking awesome!

My vote goes to carbon.

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9. Comment #210418 by Lucas on July 14, 2008 at 1:47 pm

Can anyone provide a link to a larger image of the cover of the book in post 7? Or maybe point me toward a list where these symbols are matched with their elements? Are these commonly used or is it just to look cool?

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10. Comment #210421 by ridelo on July 14, 2008 at 1:58 pm

As an old chemistry teacher I would want to know which percent of the people on this site have seen such experiments in school when they were about 16-18 years old.
Is it possible to organize a poll here?

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11. Comment #210423 by decius on July 14, 2008 at 2:02 pm

Comment #210398 by phil rimmer

Well, this is an absolute classic. See the super-alkaline metals reacting with water.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85Q1ahrUgm8

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12. Comment #210429 by ClemIsMe on July 14, 2008 at 2:11 pm

My son just took Chemistry last year! There would have been perfect. They still are, but timing is so crucial... Well done.

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13. Comment #210431 by somersetsimon on July 14, 2008 at 2:12 pm

This is great. My 7 year old son is working his way through the periodic table. We are on Nitrogen at the moment. I'll see if he likes these!

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14. Comment #210435 by Jiten on July 14, 2008 at 2:24 pm

Excellent! Just the thing to get children interested in chemistry which is normally overlooked.

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15. Comment #210436 by BigJohn on July 14, 2008 at 2:27 pm

When I was in Junior High School our science teacher was going to do an experiment with a piece of white phosphorus. When he removed the chunk of P from the water it slipped out of his tweezers and skidded across the asphalt tile floor. Spectacular! It left an eight foot long black streak of burned tile as it skittered brilliantly along. He was cool though and quickly poured water on it before it set too much more stuff afire. I don't think he ever did the experiment that day.

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16. Comment #210441 by phil rimmer on July 14, 2008 at 2:40 pm

Comment #210423 by decius

Glorious!

I've just placed my order.

http://www.goodfellow.com/csp/active/STATIC/E/Caesium.HTML

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17. Comment #210443 by bluebird on July 14, 2008 at 2:43 pm

I really appreciate this being posted, and the timing is good...both sons are in the midst of biology/chemistry courses at school; these videos will be an educational & entertaining "summer refresher".

Oh yea, I like them too :)

EDIT: decius, cool vid, thanks.

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18. Comment #210449 by decius on July 14, 2008 at 3:06 pm

Comment #210441 by phil rimmer

I've just placed my order.

Oh dear. I can already imagine the headlines.
I hereby decline all responsibility. :)

Comment #210443 by bluebird

You're welcome.

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19. Comment #210451 by Cartomancer on July 14, 2008 at 3:13 pm

I hope they're using the real periodic table, from the BBC's wonderful Look Around You programmes, rather than the boring old traditional version...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/lookaroundyou/series1/periodic.shtml

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20. Comment #210452 by ThoughtsonCommonToad on July 14, 2008 at 3:15 pm

Comment #210418 by Lucas on July 14, 2008 at 1:47 pm
LINK TO LARGER IMAGE

There is a link to a larger image. They look very similar to the images Dalton proposed in 1805.

This page has been described as a "zoo of periodic tables".

Lots of images here is Daltons which looks similar



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21. Comment #210455 by Aquambulus hirsutus on July 14, 2008 at 3:18 pm

Comment #210423 by decius on July 14, 2008 at 2:02 pm

Well, this is an absolute classic. See the super-alkaline metals reacting with water.

Apparently that video was faked -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/jul/22/badscience.uknews

(The qurl.com link in the article doesn't work any longer - use this one instead: http://www.theodoregray.com/periodictable/stories/011.2/index.html)

Other Comments by Aquambulus hirsutus

22. Comment #210456 by decius on July 14, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Comment #210455 by Aquambulus hirsutus

Interesting, although I don't understand the need to fake what would naturally occur. Were they possibly denied the purchase of materials?

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23. Comment #210458 by Aquambulus hirsutus on July 14, 2008 at 3:32 pm

Comment #210456 by decius on July 14, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Interesting, although I don't understand the need to fake what would naturally occur. Were they possibly denied the purchase of materials?

Don't know, but sounds plausible.

I hope Phil Rimmer will provide footage of real Cs explosions once he gets his order delivered.

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24. Comment #210459 by phil rimmer on July 14, 2008 at 3:36 pm

Actually my favorite element is the rather prosaic iron. All elements aspire to be iron. It is the most stable of all atoms. It has the highest binding energy.

Fusion of lighter elements happens readily in stars, producing surplus energy. As the atoms get bigger the fusion reaction produces less and less energy until it reaches iron, when excess energy needs to be put IN to make it work.

Fission of elements, on the other hand, happens very readily amongst the heaviest atoms, but is less and less likely to happen as we go to less heavy atoms, until, again we get to iron.

An atom of iron is more likely to last, un-transmuted, until the end of time than any other type of atom.

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25. Comment #210461 by phil rimmer on July 14, 2008 at 3:45 pm

Its a pity about the Cesium etc on Brainiac.

Guess its up to me now......

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26. Comment #210466 by Aquambulus hirsutus on July 14, 2008 at 4:00 pm

As someone who knows sweet FA about chemistry, I vote for Helium:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/03/2006_darwin_award/

http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/walters.asp

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27. Comment #210468 by TruthByEvidence on July 14, 2008 at 4:05 pm

I truly can't believe how 'prophetic' I am with my favourite things!

I'm glad that someone on this site has also found these videos to be brilliant and fun!

PLEASE SEND MORE LINKS IN CASE WE HAVE FORGOTTEN ANY THING ON THE WEB!!!!!!!!!!!

(That 'we' being us science loving web perusers whom want to learn all the time they can, without adverts and with lots of choice!)

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28. Comment #210488 by Ohnhai on July 14, 2008 at 5:00 pm

This looks like a perfect candidate for an RDF DVD production.

Science Education humour Fun..

RDF doesnt have to only be about ripping into religion.

Josh/Richard... what do you thnk?

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29. Comment #210531 by mikethebike on July 14, 2008 at 6:45 pm

As an engineer, I often specify my favorite elemental material on the drawings: unobtainium.

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30. Comment #210543 by Shuggy on July 14, 2008 at 7:13 pm

The videos on some of the trans-Uranic elements will be over almost before they begin.

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31. Comment #210550 by HourglassMemory on July 14, 2008 at 7:21 pm

This is a very cool idea.

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32. Comment #210577 by mordacious1 on July 14, 2008 at 8:36 pm

So many to choose from. I can't make up my mind.

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33. Comment #210578 by Lucas on July 14, 2008 at 8:37 pm

Awesome, Toad. Thank you so much.

I do have to admit, adamantium would be my favorite element if it was found to exist. SNIKT!! I only go for nitrogen because of Sangamon's Principle.

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34. Comment #210622 by GordonYKWong on July 14, 2008 at 10:48 pm

I <3 Mg.

EDIT: scratch that... I <3 Na

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35. Comment #210656 by Raiko on July 15, 2008 at 12:23 am

That's an awesome idea! I'm looking forward to the series.

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36. Comment #210660 by gcoupe on July 15, 2008 at 12:26 am

@ Aquambulus Hirsutus

You're confusing three different videos here. The one that Ben Goldacre is talking about that was faked was done for a British TV programme: Brainiac. He also mentions the very real explosions captured in the video of Theodore Gray dropping a kilo of sodium into his lake.

The video that's on the Periodic Table of Videos site is yet a third video, and I have no reason to believe that any of that was faked, despite apparently having a real professor who looks as though he and his office have been sourced from central casting...

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37. Comment #210681 by Aquambulus hirsutus on July 15, 2008 at 1:19 am

Comment #210660 by gcoupe on July 15, 2008 at 12:26 am

@ Aquambulus Hirsutus

You're confusing three different videos here. The one that Ben Goldacre is talking about that was faked was done for a British TV programme: Brainiac. He also mentions the very real explosions captured in the video of Theodore Gray dropping a kilo of sodium into his lake.

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. My post was in reply to Decius' youtube link - see post 210423 above. As far as I can tell that is the exact footage that Goldacre says was faked.

And yes, he also mentions Gray's wonderful sodium adventure, but provides an outdated link to it. I gave a working one as a service to other readers, not to suggest that it was faked.

The video that's on the Periodic Table of Videos site is yet a third video, and I have no reason to believe that any of that was faked, despite apparently having a real professor who looks as though he and his office have been sourced from central casting...

True, and again I didn't suggest that it wasn't genuine. But I share your doubts about that professor. Surely that's a wig?

Other Comments by Aquambulus hirsutus

38. Comment #210706 by Rob A on July 15, 2008 at 2:07 am

Doreen (Do) and Tedium (Te) are my new favourites

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39. Comment #210765 by jeepyjay on July 15, 2008 at 3:57 am

Post 19 by cartomancer

I hope they're using the real periodic table, from the BBC's wonderful Look Around You programmes, rather than the boring old traditional version...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/lookaroundyou/series1/periodic.shtml

That IS the boring old traditional version!
There are lots more modern ones. My own version:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gpjnow/science_elements.htm

has links to many others.

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40. Comment #210786 by Cartomancer on July 15, 2008 at 4:20 am

Looks like it from a distance, but zoom in and look a little closer. Rob A clearly has...

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41. Comment #210790 by Steve Zara on July 15, 2008 at 4:26 am

An atom of iron is more likely to last, un-transmuted, until the end of time than any other type of atom.

I am afraid not. Proton decay (if it happens) will mean that even iron will start to decay to lighter elements.

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42. Comment #210805 by Wosret on July 15, 2008 at 5:01 am

My vote goes to awesomeonium

41. Comment #210790 by Steve Zara

That, and time is a product of the motion of matter, so as long as there were atoms of anykind, and particles in motion, time is in existence. So he is really saying that iron atoms last forever.

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43. Comment #210807 by AshtonBlack on July 15, 2008 at 5:09 am

All good stuff.

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44. Comment #210882 by phil rimmer on July 15, 2008 at 7:45 am

Steve

Proton decay (if it happens) will mean that even iron will start to decay to lighter elements.

It was only a comparative (hence, more likely), not an absolute claim. I completely agree, however, that given proton decay all elemental stuff is completely stuffed.

Other reasons to vote for iron...

Wonderful as carbon hydrogen and oxygen are, substantially making us as they do, iron represents our use of tools in the two greatest waves of technology in our history, in the iron age and the industrial revolution. It is also the reason for the Aurora Borealis. (Well, indirectly)

Cartomancer.

Ohhhhh! I get it now. :-)

Other Comments by phil rimmer

45. Comment #210929 by eddington on July 15, 2008 at 9:09 am

The reason why brainiac faked the caesium experiment is because when they tried it first time not a lot happened. The slight problems with caesium are;
It's more dense than water so it sank to the bottom. This means that there's no available oxygen to burn any of the hydrogen produced.

Caesium has relatively big atoms. This means in say 5 grams of caesium there are less moles (atoms). So although the reaction be quicker there would be less volume of hydrogen produced.

Nevertheless I'm not going to volunteer to try putting caesium into a bath of HCL

Liquid Helium has to be my favourite. If I could find a beaker it would stay in.

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46. Comment #210981 by Aquambulus hirsutus on July 15, 2008 at 10:41 am

Comment #210929 by eddington on July 15, 2008 at 9:09 am
The reason why brainiac faked the caesium experiment is because when they tried it first time not a lot happened.

The cheating bastards... Thank you, Eddington.

Theodore Gray (what's not to like about the man?) also has more information:
http://theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/AlkaliBangs/index.html

Other Comments by Aquambulus hirsutus

47. Comment #211066 by Am I Evil? on July 15, 2008 at 1:28 pm

Required viewing for any self-respecting science class I reckon!

Believe it or not, I had this idea once but didn't get round to doing it. I had access to about 58 elements which would have gone a long way into simplifying an explanation on the Periodic Table. As it was, other things began to take over and then it all got forgotten about. Ah well...

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48. Comment #212060 by SteveRiley on July 16, 2008 at 2:36 pm

Anyone know what the music is in that trailer? I've heard it elsewhere, and I'd like to find a recording. Thanks!

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49. Comment #213850 by PMO on July 19, 2008 at 3:48 am

Awesome! I vote for Oxygen!

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50. Comment #215185 by aquilacane on July 21, 2008 at 1:14 pm

In response to comment #210418 (#9) by Lucas on July 14, 2008

"As an old chemistry teacher I would want to know which percent of the people on this site have seen such experiments in school when they were about 16-18 years old.
Is it possible to organize a poll here?"

We started this sort of science teaching in grade 6 (11-12 years of age in Canada). I remember nicking some magnesium to burn, we also collected and burned hydrogen and several other fun things. Steel wool was often used.

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