Putting the Elements in Their Places; The Quest for the Periodic Table; Special Editions; by ERIC SCERRI; 2 Page(s)

THE PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS is one of the most important developments in modern science, although it dates from the 1860s. In addition to unifying a huge variety of chemical and physical phenomena, it contributed significantly to the development of atomic physics and eventually to the theory of quantum mechanics.

These days the periodic table has become something of a cultural icon—a meme, if you will. Web sites have spawned "periodic tables" of anything and everything that can be classified, from fruits and vegetables to famous guitar players. YouTube videos alone featuring the periodic table number about 14,000, according to the quick search I made this past October. A Google search for the words periodic table results in almost 23 million hits, which incidentally is more hits than for "relativity theory" or "quantum mechanics."