Georgia Tech | College of Sciences International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements

To celebrate the periodic table’s long-running success, the United Nations proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements #IYPT2019. Here at Georgia Tech, our celebration will be all year round #IYPT2019GT!

Periodic table of the elements with Gold highlighted

“After evolving for over 200 years through the work of many people, the periodic table remains at the heart of the study of chemistry. It ranks as one of the most fruitful ideas in modern science, comparable perhaps to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Unlike theories such as Newtonian mechanics, it has not been falsified or revolutionized by modern physics but has adapted and matured while remaining essentially unscathed.” Eric Scerri, “The Evolution of the Periodic System,” Scientific American, Jan. 21, 2011.

#IYPT2019 Downloads

Celebrating the Periodic Table at Georgia Tech

Led by the College of Sciences, Georgia Tech will celebrate 2019, the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (#IYPT2019GT), all year long. Every week, we will highlight elements through videos and factual trivia. Every month, a student, faculty, or staff will expound on a favorite element in a short video. From January to December, we will host events to engage the community with the periodic table through arts, academics, athletics, and fun.

Element Videos

Meet new elements. Renew acquaintances with elements you've encountered. With permission from the University of Nottingham's Periodic Table of Videos, we bring you elements at random. Be amused. Be amazed.

Each month, in our "My Favorite Element" series, meet a Georgia Tech student, faculty, or staff and their favorite element.

Watch "My Favorite Element" Videos

Meet Our Randomly Chosen Weekly Elements

The Periodic Table Mixed It Up with Yellow Jackets’ Tip-Off on Jan. 22

A unique treat awaited fans at the Yellow Jackets’ Jan. 22 men’s basketball home game. The Georgia Tech team battled Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish for the hoops amid element cards, games, and prizes to celebrate 2019, the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements. The Yellow Jackets prevailed over the Fighting Irish, 63-61.

The Periodic Table at Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame

Frontiers in Science Lecture Series

In February, the Frontiers in Science Lecture Series on the periodic table will commence. Lectures will explore topics from the origin of the chemical elements to the economic, societal, and geopolitical consequences of elements yet undiscovered or in scarce supply. Among the lecturers is bestselling author Sam Kean. His book “The Disappearing Spoon” reveals the periodic table as a treasure trove of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession.

Frontiers in Science Lectures Details

IYPTE 2019 Events

#IYPT2019GT is for all of the Georgia Tech community.

The Periodic Table at Georgia Tech vs Notre Dame. Go Yellow Jackets! Periodic table makeover by industrial design students. Frontiers in Science Lecture: How the Universe Made the Elements Water, in Three Movements, Georgia Tech Laptop Orchestra, School of Music Frontiers in Science: Celebrating Silicon: Its Success, Hidden History, and Next Act Periodic Table and the Chemical Elements in Clough Art Crawl
Periodic Table and the Chemical Elements in Atlanta Science Festival Expo
Frontiers in Science: Mathematical Mysteries of the Periodic Table The Periodic Table: A Treasure Trove of Passion, Adventure, Betrayal, and Obsession Halloween in June: Costume Party and Variety Show Chemical Element Scavenger Hunt Frontiers in Science: The Elusive End of the Periodic Table: Why Chase It? Plutonium Chemistry and the Battlefields of the Cold War Turning Sour, Bloated, and Out of Breath: Ocean Chemistry under Global Warming, Taka Ito Grand opening of ASTOUNDING ELEMENTS exhibit and panel discussion Frontiers in Science Lecture: The Geopolitics of the Rare and Not-So-Rare Elements ASTOUNDING ELEMENTS: Celebrating the Periodic Table