Tom Lehrer's "Elements" (was Re: "mnemonic possession")

[Neal Whitman]

Here it is in Japanese, with all elements  discovered as of October 2010, with a fun animation. H/t to Ben's science-writer brother Carl for tweeting this a few years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljsUVDOcYB0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Neal

On Oct 26, 2013, at 2:45 PM, "David A. Daniel" <dad at POKERWIZ.COM> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "David A. Daniel" <dad at POKERWIZ.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "mnemonic possession"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The song is not in order. Here's a great link to Tom singing live.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcS3NOQnsQM
> And here's a link to an animated version showing the elements as he sings
> them.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGM-wSKFBpo
> DAD
>
> ---
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: "mnemonic possession"
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
>
> At 10/25/2013 09:42 PM, Neal Whitman wrote:
>> Well, I learned their names. Chemical properties? Atomic numbers?
>> That came in chemistry class, and is mostly forgotten now.
>
> Doesn't the song go in atno order?  Unless, like Gerald Ford, one
> can't count and sing at the same time.
>
> Joel
>
> (Yes I know, one could tally with a pencil instead.)
>
>
>> Neal
>>
>> On Oct 25, 2013, at 8:08 PM, "David A. Daniel" <dad at POKERWIZ.COM> wrote:
>>
>>> Poster:       "David A. Daniel" <dad at POKERWIZ.COM>
>>> Subject:      Re: "mnemonic possession"
>>>
>>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
>>>
>>> If you really and truly learned the elements from Tom Lehrer's
>> song then you
>>> are my hero, and perhaps a candidate for apotheosis, another being Tom.
> I
>>> couldn't mnemonic (ha! verbified!) past hydrogen, which is sad but true.
> I
>>> learned my life lessons from "So Long Mom, I'm Off to Drop the Bomb,"
>>> "Vatican Rag," "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," "Be Prepared" and so
> many
>>> others.
>>> DAD
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Poster:       Neal Whitman <nwhitman at AMERITECH.NET>
>>> Subject:      Re: "mnemonic possession" (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>>
>>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> ---
>>>
>>> It's how I learned them, except of course for those that hadn't been
>>> discovered.
>>>
>>> Neal
>>>
>>>> Poster:       Arnold Zwicky <zwicky at STANFORD.EDU>
>>>> Subject:      Re: "mnemonic possession" (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>>>
>>>
>>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> ---
>>>>
>>>> On Oct 25, 2013, at 7:49 AM, "Mullins, Bill CIV (US)"
>>> <william.d.mullins18.civ at MAIL.MIL> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> So, what other things have you memorized from a song?  I'm aware of
> (but
>>>>> haven't learned):
>>>>> Lehrer's song about the elements
>>>>> Animaniacs songs of state capitals and countries
>>>>
>>>> i can't believe that anyone has ever learned the names of the elements
>>> from Tom Lehrer's song.  it's a tour de force, but not really usable as
> a
>>> mnemonic,
>>>>
>>>> arnold
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org