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This Interactive Periodic Table Contains Real Samples of Every Element

©Facebook,David Pogue

Judging by how well you did in junior high, you’re either going to love this idea or it’s going to bring back some painful memories. I’m somewhere in the middle, but I can clearly recall the disappointed look on the face of my 7th-grade science teacher when I stumbled over different elements of the periodic table.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Theo Gray, co-founder of Wolfram Research and a guy whose pretty serious about science, built the periodic table of elements as a wooden table in his office. Not only that, but the impressive table holds real-world samples of (most of) the elements beneath each wooden panel.

Some larger, dangerous, or more valuable samples – like gold – are kept in more secure locations. If I’ve piqued your chemistry curiosity, this (non-physical) table below shows examples of where we encounter the different elements in everyday life:

Photo Credit: Keith Enevoldsen

Watch the video below and see Gray showing off his prized table.