A challenge to University Challenge

University Challenge is a great, geeky TV show.

The BBC quiz has fiendishly hard questions (well, hard for me) tackled by knowledgeable students from universities across the UK.

The show's opening sequence briefly features a periodic table.

And every episode of the show seems to feature a few chemistry questions, often about the periodic table.

However our latest periodicvideo reports that table used by University Challenge is sadly outdated, not featuring many elements which have been on the table for years.

Instead they just use the atomic numbers, as used before the elements were formally named (see my corrections below!).


As our own Professor Martyn Poliakoff argues, it can hardly be argued by the show's producers that their table is "historic" - "it's just a bit old".

As we mischievously say, maybe it's time of the opening credits to be updated!? Our very own challenge to University Challenge.

Of course it doesn't really matter, does it?

Our video is really a fun excuse to discuss our beloved table.

And a chance to show off the professor's equally outdated but reliable car!