My good friend Helen Arney has updated every chemist’s favourite Tom Lehrer song The Elements often referred to as the periodic table song, bringing in the new elements discovered or synthesised since 1959 and including the recently announced official names of elements 113, 115, 117, and 118 [nihonium (Nh), moscovium (Mc), tennessine (Ts), and oganesson (Og), respectively].
According to Helen, she recorded this in a single take while her nine-week old baby had a nap. “Thanks to her for keeping quiet, plus even more thanks to Tom Lehrer for writing the original song to Arthur Sullivan’s tune, and keeping the whole thing singable in under two minutes,” Helen says.