The Periodic Table of Videos

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

The Periodic Table of Videos is a series of educational shorts on chemistry produced by the University of Nottingham and posted on YouTube (along with a sister series, Sixty Symbols, which is devoted to explaining "those funny letters and squiggles used by physicists and astronomers"). So why, you ask, would an educational series have its own page on TV Tropes? Because it features a charming and likable cast of characters, who've made it their business to make chemistry, astronomy and physics as interesting and engaging as possible.

Each episode in The Periodic Table of Videos explores and examines a single element from (what else?) the Periodic Table. The viewer learns about the element's history and properties (and occasionally, the viewer gets to see that element blown up in a spectacular fashion.) From time to time, the scientists will slip in a video discussing other science-related content; a visit to a famous site related to the history of chemistry, or a discussion of the science behind notable current events, to name a few examples. And sometimes they'll just blow crap up because it's cool For Science!! As of this date, they've explored all 118 known elements of the periodic table and have moved on to exploring various molecular compounds.

Tropes used in The Periodic Table of Videos include:
  • Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Mentioned by name in video on the Very Fast Death Factor compound. Three guesses why it's called that...
  • For Science!: Ostensibly the real reason they blow up so many things on the show.
  • Mad Scientist: Professor Martyn may not act like one, but he certainly cultivates the look of a traditional movie mad scientist.
  • Ms. Fanservice: No one on the show can really be said to embody this, although Debbie comes close in this video. (Note: If you're an amply-endowed woman trying to engage your audience in a serious discussion of silicon, do not wear a tight shirt.)
  • Stuff Blowing Up: What many of the videos seem to feature. Apparently a good way to learn about an element is to see how "reactive" it is (e.g: how well it blows itself and other stuff up.)
  • The Voiceless: Neil, the senior technician who plays the dogsbody and set-up guy for the rest of the cast. (He will talk occasionally, but since his main job is to set up experiments, not perform them, you rarely hear him do so.)
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