Tuesday, 20 December 2022
A group of young chemistry fans travelled from across the world and the East Midlands to visit their science hero and YouTube star, Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff.
12-year-old Ajay Sawant first met Professor Poliakoff four years ago and since then has made friends with other fans of his from the UK. Ajay took a detour on his journey from Florida to Mumbai to meet his hero and was joined by the new friends he has made online who all share a passion for chemistry and the Periodic Table of Videos.
Joseph, Danesh and Hugo being shown around Sir Martyn's office
9-year-old Danesh Ball from Nottingham, 12-year- old Hugo Willmoth from Lincoln and 11-year-old Joseph Cross from Leicester joined Ajay to meet Sir Martyn in person. They were shown around Sir Martyn’s office which is home to his collection of Periodic Tables from around the world. He also showed the boys some of the elements he has collected including copper and magnesium telling them about their origins. They were then given a tour of the state-of-the-art STEM teaching lab which is where chemistry students are taught.
Ajay said: “I’m really excited to be here as I really like Sir Martyn and the videos so it’s great to meet him in person again. I’ve been interested in chemistry for several years after getting a book on the elements and watching the videos. The videos are excellent and it’s really great that Sir Martyn shares his knowledge with us.”
Hugo said: “I’ve been watching the Periodic Videos since I was a few years old so have been really looking forward to coming here to meet Sir Martyn and it’s a great honour to be here. The videos got me interested in chemistry and it’s really exciting to see some of the things that are in them.”
Sir Martyn is well known worldwide as the lead presenter and cult hero of the You Tube hit science series – Periodic Table of Videos which started 14 years ago when scientists in the University of Nottingham’s School of Chemistry started collaborating with the renowned filmmaker Brady Haran. Their mission was to document every single one of the 118 chemical elements in a fun, lively and often unconventional way – they achieved this but continue to make videos!
The videos have grown to attract an international audience with more than 1.5 million subscribers with their videos attracting a total of more than 275 million views.
It’s lovely to see Ajay again and to meet this group of young people who share a passion for Chemistry! I’m always so delighted to see how the videos we make are inspiring the younger generation and, in this case, bringing them together.
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff on Martyn.Poliakoff@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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