The Periodic Table of Videos | |
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Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff
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Also known as | Periodic Videos |
Genre | Educational entertainment |
Created by | Brady Haran |
Directed by | Brady Haran |
Presented by |
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Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
Production | |
Producer(s) | Brady Haran |
Location(s) | University of Nottingham |
Release | |
Original network | YouTube |
Original release | June 28, 2008 |
Chronology | |
Related shows | |
External links | |
The Periodic Table of Videos | |
Periodic Videos on Youtube |
The Periodic Table of Videos is a series of videos about chemical elements and the periodic table. They are published on YouTube and produced by Brady Haran, a former BBC video journalist, featuring Sir Martyn Poliakoff ("The Professor"), Peter Licence, Stephen Liddle, Debbie Kays, Neil Barnes, Sam Tang and others at the University of Nottingham.
The project began recording on 9 June 2008 and the initial videos were completed on 17 July 2008. The collection includes videos, each just a few minutes long, for all 118 known elements with a video for each element, as well as many additional supplemental chemistry videos. The 118 element videos and introduction videos were all shot unscripted in June and July 2008.
Since the initial videos were completed in 2008 the team has been refining and uploading revised versions of the videos with new video and in higher resolutions. A key example of this revising is with the xenon video that was redone in honour of professor Neil Bartlett who died on August 5, 2008; Bartlett prepared one of the first xenon compounds, xenon hexafluoroplatinate.
Poliakoff is the most visible presenter on the videos and his hair, reminiscent of Einstein or a mad scientist, is frequently commented upon in the videos. The combination of the professor's hair and sometimes crazy experiments has made these videos quite popular. Although uncertain what to think about the attention given to his hair, Professor Poliakoff is excited with the success of the videos, stating "With a few hours of work, I have lectured to more students than I have reached in my entire career." The YouTube channel as of March 2016, has over 700,000 subscribers and the videos have had over 120 million views. The YouTube channel is now one of the most popular chemistry related channels on all of YouTube. The producers of the videos have received praise from Nobel Laureates, chemistry professors, and the general public, says Professor Poliakoff. Chemistry Nobel Laureate Roald Hoffmann has even offered his praise of the videos, stating they "are like the best reality show I've ever seen—the universe revealing itself, element by element."