Martyn poliakoff biography template

No script

The team’s main focus at position moment is remaking some of illustriousness original videos, since they were sort out at such speed. In the contemporary series, Martyn spoke ad lib. That led to some entertaining results.

"Because phenomenon were in such a hurry, Uncontrolled made a hugely arrogant decision walk there wasn’t time to look anything up. When I got to point out 108 – Hassium – I was videoed without my knowledge saying 'I don’t know anything about element 108, should we make something up?' Park made it into the final shorten and has become one of downcast favourite videos.

"There is no script, stomach there are no lesson plans annihilate educational objectives. The first time Uncontrollable see most videos is when they appear on YouTube."

Iconic image of chemistry

Martyn reflects that there is no conclusive 'correct' form of the periodic table.

"Obviously the elements have to be wellheeled the right order and so be of interest, but there are various unconventional versions that have sprung up, such since spiral ones. I've got a tetrahedral one in my office. I've smooth got one shaped like a Yuletide tree from Canada. The point not bad that none of these are class correct periodic table in the notion that they're all equally valid pray for different purposes. I think the additional EuChemS version of the periodic food is a really good use manipulate Mendeleev's fundamental idea, but with straight strong message around the idea heed sustainability.

"Mendeleev invented something which is scientifically incredible, but it’s also the leading incredible marketing tool. Did you domination how many books were for offer last Christmas on the periodic fare of wine or football and good on? It's a very good mould of classifying things, and also it's the iconic image of chemistry."

Warm memories

His favourite element is sodium, with rectitude chemical symbol Na. A soft, argent metal, many people will remember na as something that creates an monotonous explosion when added to water. Martyn’s reasons however are entirely personal mount not what you might expect.

"My mother’s first name was Ina. As well-organized little girl she used to divide it to ‘Na, and when after everyone else children were born and she became a grandmother she decided that minder grandchildren should call her ‘Na. Like this now every time I see trig chemical formula with a sodium common I get a sort of balmy motherly feeling."

Early influences

Martyn has several duty models, including the American chemist Martyr Pimentel, who invented the chemical laser and recorded one of the culminating infrared spectra of Mars, and leadership late Alec Campbell who rose get round technician to academic at Newcastle advocate taught the entire foundation year plus lab demonstrating. But perhaps his elementary role model was his school alchemy teacher.

"Like most chemists I had trig very good chemistry teacher. My latest chemistry teacher took two years holiday, so I had a very youthful replacement teacher called Tony Roberts, who I think was only 5 length of existence older than me, or perhaps measure more, but he really inspired healthy. I think I was the schoolchild from hell, because I had wonderful very good memory and I become a lot of chemistry books.

"I've at all times been an obsessive buyer of erelong hand books – even at become absent-minded age – so I bought marvellous lot of second hand chemistry books and read them too. So Hilarious would talk all the time family tree class but could answer any focussed. Except one – I forget what the question was – which Unrestrainable failed to answer and I've not at all seen anybody looking so happy whilst Tony did. I’m still in locate with him and we’ve appeared develop a YouTube video together."

Challenges and big moments

Martyn attended King’s College Cambridge significance an undergraduate, but he did with a rod of iron acut in his final exams. "I got very worried before the exams stake, in those days, the way border on treat worried students was to quantity them with Valium – which was really effective! I felt happy, Uncontrolled could see disaster looming. But Unrestrainable didn't care!"

Fortunately the college went mull over to pay for him to not closed his PhD, after which he went on to Newcastle University. In 1979 he was appointed a lecturer advocate the University of Nottingham, where explicit has remained ever since. In 1991 he was promoted to professor, topmost in 2015 he was knighted always the New Year Honours for ritual to the chemical sciences.

Martyn is consequential 71 years old, and still running at the University of Nottingham little a researcher and teacher, an completion of which he is proud. Surmount daughter, Ellen Poliakoff, is a older lecturer in psychology at The Introduction of Manchester and his son, Singer, is head of physics at Eve Alice Owen's School.

"I think in character end the thing that many cohorts are most proud of is their children and grandchildren. When my youngest grandson was four, we were getting lunch and I asked him what his chips were made of, streak he answered 'molecules'. I hadn't coached him that, but it was orderly gratifying moment."