Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Where do our words for the chemical elements come from? The answers are certain to surprise you. In this linguistic tour of the periodic table, discover:
🤷 Whether it's aluminUM or aluminIUM
🥇 Why the chemical symbol for gold is Au, not Go
🧌 The secret mythical figures hiding in the periodic table
🌍 Which place has the most elements named after it (you won't guess)

So let's get in our element, and explore the fascinating stories behind our names for the elements.

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==CHAPTERS==
0:00 Introduction
0:42 Hydrogen, Oxygen and friends
2:40 Helium & Aluminium
4:33 Carbon, Gold, Silver, Mercury
6:55 Ytterby elements
9:35 Named after places
10:29 Mythology elements
12:47 Named for characteristics
13:46 Named after people
14:13 Confusing chemical symbols
15:07 Interrupted by dog