Early in 1869, Russian chemist Dmitrii Mendeleev was in a predicament many people are familiar with—he was facing a deadline. He had delivered the first volume of his inorganic chemistry textbook to his publisher but was struggling with how to organize the second volume.
This struggle would culminate in a remarkable discovery, a system that classified all of the chemical elements.
Written by Ann E. Robinson. Narration by Nicholas Breyfogle.
Video production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Audio production by Paul Kotheimer, College of Arts & Sciences Academic Technology Services.
We thank the Stanton Foundation for their funding of this and other Origins projects.
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