…And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium

And so on, ad caesium nauseum. So goes the famous Tom Lehrer song about the elements. And here it is in its full Lego glory.

The musical mnemonic now comes in a tangible, interactive form courtesy of the Royal Institution. As part of their multi-million pound refit, they’ve installed this king-sized Periodic Table in the basement.

The merry matrix plays back the element song to anyone curious enough to press the start button. You’re then encouraged to tap the 10 chemical elements discovered at the Royal Institution when they are mentioned in the song. To wit: Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Strontium, Barium, Boron, Chlorine and Iodine (discovered by an overachieving Humphry Davy), and Argon courtesy of Lord Rayleigh.

Shame the pads aren’t made of the elements they represent. Who dares touch the potassium?