116 or 118?

July 31, 2006 7:25 PM

The Periodic Table should be familiar to anyone that's taken a Chemistry course. Like E=MC^2 it's something people tend to remember even years after they've forgotten everything else they learned in science class. Maybe that's why it's inspired so many renditions: From the edible to the wearable to the literary. Heck, for some it causes them to break out into song.
posted by cm (20 comments total)

Cute. What do the A, C, and S at the top of the edible one stand for?
posted by fvw at 7:48 PM on July 31, 2006

Cute. What do the A, C, and S at the top of the edible one stand for?

American Chemical Society: ACS
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:56 PM on July 31, 2006

Why just stop at cupcakes (the edible link above) when there's a whole world of goodies to be tabulated?

Here's the ACS periodic table. Each element links to an article - some (far too) dry and scholarly, others much more personal, historical, and even a little off center (and even one from a notable non-chemist).
posted by hangashore at 8:14 PM on July 31, 2006

I highly recommend The Periodic Table by Primo Levi.
posted by bleary at 8:31 PM on July 31, 2006

The edible one would have been truly great if each cupcake contained at least a little bit of the element.

I need to get some Gallium also.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 8:44 PM on July 31, 2006

Origin of the Periodic Table.

Periodic Table of Rejected, Crazy and Criminal Elements
posted by nickyskye at 9:16 PM on July 31, 2006

And let's not forget the Periodic Table of Condiments.
posted by mosk at 9:19 PM on July 31, 2006

mosk, Oh I love that condiments one! :)
posted by nickyskye at 9:30 PM on July 31, 2006

Look Around You has the best periodic table of any educational film, seen here in full.
posted by jewzilla at 9:35 PM on July 31, 2006 [1 favorite]

Here's a MeFi summer rerun of an old post of mine with some other links on the Periodic Table theme.
posted by Zed_Lopez at 11:04 PM on July 31, 2006

The Look Around You period table is great.

G - Goo.
H20 - Water.
Mr - Man
Mu (4,4) - Music
posted by nthdegx at 11:37 PM on July 31, 2006

nickyskye, bitchin link.

I've been intending to do a "wrong periodic table", that's a niche I don't think has yet been covered. Not a funny one, just one with all slightly wrong information - elements in the wrong places, wrong atomic weights, etc, etc.

But I would need some better web dev skills - I would want it to be pretty and slick enough to be mistaken for real by some fool children, laymen, and students.
posted by Meatbomb at 11:42 PM on July 31, 2006

MB, You rascal, lol. To what mischievous purpose?
posted by nickyskye at 12:38 AM on August 1, 2006

He never arranges kraals extra round. (Noble gases.)

He lifted Nancy K. Robinson ceaselessly, Frank. (Group 1.)

Frank Clark brings in atoms. (Group 17.)
posted by pax digita at 3:13 AM on August 1, 2006

Hydrogen, He Likes Be-B C'NOF, NeNa M'gAl SiPS Chlorine.
posted by Mapes at 6:48 AM on August 1, 2006

MB, it would make a great entry in the uncyclopedia.
posted by solotoro at 6:50 AM on August 1, 2006

It's probably horribly nitpicking of me, but Tom Lehrer's song isn't a periodic table. He doesn't sing the elements in table order, but for rhyming effect. That doesn't stop it being brilliant, of course.
posted by normy at 6:59 AM on August 1, 2006

Don't forget; Periodic Haiku, Table of Mixology (this one is better), Fruits & Nuts, and Vegetables. And of course the Periodic Table of Comic Books.

nickyskye - That one was my brother's favorite! Thanks!
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:13 AM on August 1, 2006

solotoro, Oh wow, that uncyclopedia is hilarious! Thanks.

ObscureReferenceMan, :)

Lyrics to Tom Lehrer's The Elements. A cool video of the song, sung by Lehrer.
posted by nickyskye at 9:47 AM on August 1, 2006

This is my favorite:

The actual table periodic table

Ambitious!
posted by lumpenprole at 11:53 AM on August 1, 2006