Science Cafe Orlando

The periodic table is an amazing tool that provides the ability to predict chemical properties. Scientists often take it for granted. We will undertake a guided tour of the periodic table from its humble beginnings with just a little over 60 elements to today’s table with 118 elements and counting. The layout we are familiar with is much different from the original and even today alternative depictions are being developed.

Dr. Richard Blair earned his B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics from Hope College in Holland, MI. He has an MS in Physical Chemistry from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from UCLA. He worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the next generation of thermoelectric power modules for spacecraft.

In 2007, he accepted a position as assistant professor of Chemistry and Forensic Science at UCF. His work at UCF has expanded on a synthetic technique utilized at JPL where mechanical force is used to induce a chemical reaction—mechanochemistry. His current research is focused on biofuels, greener syntheses, and forensic identifications of illicit substances.