Science communication, when combined with a vault of gold and a self-described “eccentric hairstyle,” takes on a new life. In this instance, you might call that new life Professor Martyn Poliakoff at the University of Nottingham, but you’d only be half right.
In the video below, Professor Poliakoff stands inside the English bank vault holding all of the country’s gold reserve. He shares fascinating facts and observations about the value of the vault’s content. But if you keep your eyes trained on Professor Poliakoff and his fuzzy halo, you’ll miss the man behind the camera, video journalist Brady Haran. Take a look at this fabulous bit of fun, and I’ll reconvene in a couple inches of screen space.
This elemental exploration of gold is one of over 100 short films produced by Brady Haran for The Periodic Table of Videos. He and a group of researchers at The University of Nottingham made a video for every entry on the periodic table of elements. Continue reading