We’ve received a lot of feedback questioning some of the science presented in this video.

I forwarded some of the comments on to the producers and requested a response. I just received the following response from the lab at University of Nottingham:

“[Professor Martyn Poliakoff] has been away in Africa but I’ll ask him to look (I am the film-maker, not a scientist). He receives many emails from viewers but always tries to reply.

“Worth noting our videos are for a very wide audience and often contain just a few curious nuggets designed to inspire further interest – unfortunately the whole story never fits in a YouTube video… the comments you refer to are obviously from true ‘concrete fans’ who feel very passionately about detail.”

While we anxiously await Poliakoff’s return, watch the video yourself and let us know what you think.

Here is the latest and greatest installment of chemist Martyn Poliakoff of University of Nottingham in his Periodic Table of Videos. The Chemistry of Concrete describes the chemistry behind the hardening process that occurs after you mix silicon dioxide, lime, aggregate and water.

Poliakoff is the narrator of a 118-part series of short videos called The Periodic Table of Videos, which is a popular science project intended to familiarize the public with the periodic table. The site is worth checking out. Each short video offers an informative quick lesson in the element presented.

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