One of the biggest challenges chemistry faces is communication. At first glance it may seem boring to most people, but there are resources that manage to combat that boredom marvelously. One of them is the Periodic Videos channel on YouTube, with hundreds of entries dedicated to each element in the periodic table, including popular experiments and top-tier information.
Personally, I must say that my relationship with chemistry was ruined almost permanently by a series of horrible teachers I had in high school, and I say "suffered" without any moderation. Their classes were a real torture, their methodology obsolete, and the annual programs left much to be desired... not to mention the detail that they started at seven-thirty in the morning, with labs that had sub-zero temperatures. Of course, chemistry itself is not to blame, but rather those who are in charge of communicating it. Perhaps the solution is to leave that job in the hands of professionals, and that is exactly what we find on the Periodic Videos channel:
Periodic Videos is a production of Brady Haran (whom we also know from the Numberphile and Sixty Symbols channels), in association with the University of Nottingham. Its main presenter is Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff, a kind and friendly man, full of knowledge, and with hair of legendary properties. He is joined by different specialists in certain elements and compounds, ranging from manufacturers of periodic tables with real samples, to experts in poisons and chemical weapons. Some of the experiments on the channel are particularly explosive, and the use of special cameras helps us see reactions that would otherwise completely escape our eyes.
Their updates usually follow an average of one video per month, perhaps a bit slower compared to other channels, but definitely worth the wait. Periodic Videos has almost one million subscriptions, and at any moment it will cross that limit. Whether out of simple curiosity, because you are a chemistry enthusiast, or you need to prepare a paper and are looking for extra information, Periodic Videos deserves a place in your YouTube list.
