Neil the Cult Hero

Neil Barnes has become a cult hero on The Periodic Table of Videos.

Neil's a senior technician at the University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry, helping keep everything running smoothly in various labs and solving countless problems.

He has also become a vital part of our videos, helping out with technical equipment and general chemistry know-how.

Neil rarely talks on camera and his silent presence seems to have created an air of mystery.

Below I've collated some of the countless comments about Neil which have been posted on YouTube:

Neil is my hero.

Neil is a dangerous, dangerous man. Thank goodness he's on our side.

Neil looks like he would rip your head off....with science!

Neil can create gold from lead using only his bare hands.

Neil "just happens to have a bottle of oxygen". LIES!!! Neil summons oxygen and it obeys. Neil eats Radium, exhales pure Fluorine and sweats solid Gold. When he presence, conflagrant high wind blow mother earth chaos, all biology became skeleton. Praise Neil.

Neil, he's bald.
He's got glasses.
He's chews pure potassium.
And he's just bad ass.

Cool stuff, and Neil looks badass as usual. That guy should have his own Facebook page.

I love the Prof, Pete, etc. - but especially the stone-faced Neil!

Neil is my favourite. He is an enigma wrapped in a riddle...

OMG poor Neil looks like he has the same relationship with the university that I have with my wife. We are on opposite sides of the earth but I still feel your pain! Hang in there brother!

Neil.. We love you! <3

Did Neil just wink? I think I need to sit down for a while and calm down...

Neil's a beast

Why doesn't Neil ever smile?

Neil always looks thoroughly disinterested.

Neil reminds me of vince clark from depeche mode, yazoo, and erasure.

I always thought he was from one of those james bond movies where he (unfortunately) portrays the evil guy :P

Give Neil a huge raise for all the stuff he does to keep the lab going smoothly!

Neil is chewing pure potassium.

Neil, the secret god of chemists

If there's residual potassium in that beaker, Neil's just gonna eat it off to get rid of it.

If you gave Neil a knife he would probably kill everyone in the world and then reproduce by mitosis to populate a whole world full of badassery.

A very old deuterium sample. Must be Neil's history. I bet he was behind thermonuclear weapons :)

Whoa Neil. look at those beefy muscles

Neil is awesome cool. He's like the quiet awesome guy like standing there quiet and letting kids play. Man, i would like to know who the f he is. In my opinion hes a chemist during the day and something like a secret crime fighter during the night.
He is just AWESOME!

Cool. Smooth. Lethal. Neil is the man.

You guys over there better appreciate Neil. I demand a tribute video to NEIL!

Neil the "Beaker" of Nottingham University School of Chemistry.


Neil is a super star. He needs top billing and more in shot work.

One of these days Neil's gonna bring a mac 10 to work and shoot up the joint :P

Poor neil. you're still my favorite periodic video star!

Neil, the gray eminence of periodic videos, doesn't want to reveal his sources of Heavy Water.

Beware the fury of patient man. But seriously nice video keep em coming. See if Neil has any old tricks he knows and that he would be willing to show.

The most important question about Neil, to my mind is this...Neil V Chuck Norris; who wins?

Must. Have. More. Neil!!! :-)

I wish Neil would come clean up all of my messes

Neil is the Fonzie of PV.

When is Neil's autobiography being released

Neil reminded me of my grade 9 science teacher Mr. Zurock , buff, and bald.

What are the chemical properties of Neil?

Neil has some huge arms! :

I have a feeling that Neil is just a ticking timebomb. he never says anything and every time his involved in a video its involves fire or explosives

Neil is the MACK DADY

Neil's deadpan expression always makes me smile, he's like the Jack Dee of the science world.

Some say his skin is fireproof, and that his chest hair is even more impressive than the professor's hair... all we know is he's called Neil.

Neil is a robot.

Neil looks like a secret agent!

Neil is the unsung hero of these videos. We should have a whip 'round and get him a gift!

I imagine Neil just following Pete around town, providing a light whenever one is neeeded.

Neil is 100% badass, seriously, what high security detainment centre did he escape from?

Neil doesn't speak. Neither do Neil's victims.

I love Neil... standing there holding a lighter shownin off his BEASTLY arms :

Do you have to get Neils permission to place items in the fumehood? I like to think he guards the fumehoods in case people make a mess.

I bet Neil has a lot of manly chemistry scars =)

Between Neil and Chuck Norris who is the bigger badass?

I want to have an anniversary date with Neil ;)

Where do you get all that stuff, Neil?
*shrugs*
Instant top 10 in people I wish I knew. :D

Neil just always looks so cool and "I don't give a crap about this stupid video series". For the record, I think your video series ROCKS!!!!!!!!

I'll be glad to spend a night with him to cheer him up ;)

Wait... Is Neil's last name "Norris"

'Neil has made us some gun-cotton!' Neil sits in the background with an air of; 'Yeah? And? I make guncotton every day, it's not hard...'

Neil for president!

Aw poor Neil, ya meanies. You owe him a nice card and a group rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler :) A dozen tulips wouldn't hurt either!

Is Neil a Terminator?

My favourite videos are the videos where you make things blow up. My other favourite videos are the ones with Neil in them.

They could never make a movie about Neil, because Paul Newman and James Dean are dead and no one else is cool enough to play the part. :D

Neil makes me want to be a lab technician