Dr. Eric Scerri is a chemist, author and leading historian and philosopher of science, specializing in the periodic table of the chemical elements. He is the author of The Periodic Table, Its Story and Its Significance, (Oxford University Press, 2007) and numerous other books on this and related topics. His writing includes a number of books directed at the general public such as A Very Short Introduction to the Periodic Table, and 30-Second Elements. He is a frequent contributor to popular science magazines such as Scientific American and New Scientist.

Dr. Scerri has been a full-time lecturer in chemistry and history and philosophy of science at UCLA for the past sixteen years where he regularly teaches classes of 350 undergraduates as well as classes in history and philosophy of science. His research ranges across many areas including chemical education, and historical and philosophical questions such as the relationship between chemistry and quantum physics.

He has been a consultant for TV and radio programs and appears in TV interviews. He was featured extensively in the recent PBS television series titled “The Mystery of Matter”. Dr. Scerri has given lectures to general audiences on all six continents. His topics include presentations on how science differs from other forms of knowledge and how it affects everybody’s life.

2022
185. The Nature of the Chemical Bond, 26th Annual conference of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, Lille, France, August 16th, 2022.

184. The role of the periodic table in chemical education, University of isa, Italy, July 4th, 2022.

183. Un racconto di sette elementi, Workshop at the University of Pisa, Italy, based on authors book, A Tale of Seven Elements, June 10th, 2022 (via Zoom).

182. Pontifical University of Valparaiso, Chile, A History and Philosophy of the Periodic Table, 9th June, 2022 (via Zoom).

181. University of New Hampshire, Invited Seminar to Department of Chemistry, A brief history of the Periodic Table, March 1st, 2022 (via Zoom).

2021
180. University of Padua, Italy, A Brief History of the Elements and the Periodic Table, September 3rd, 2021 (via Zoom).

179. Unidavi University, Rio Sul, Brazil, Zoom lecture, A Very Short Introduction to the Periodic Table, 5th August, 2021 (via Zoom).

178. Hasok Chang on Acid, International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, annual meeting, remotely via Buenos Aires, July 12th, 2021 (via Zoom).

177. A series of 6 Zoom lectures to the University of Turin, Chemistry Department, An introduction to the history and philosophy of science with examples from chemistry and physics, Feb-March, 2021.

176. Physics Department of Wake Forest University, NC, A Tale of Seven Scientists, Feb 18th, 2021 (via zoom).

2020
175. Zoom workshop, The 4s-3d orbital conundrum, New Haven ACS local section and Yale University Chemistry Department, October 22nd, 2020.

2019
174. Plenary Lecture, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, The Periodic Table, Its Story and Its Significance, December 2, 2019.

173. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand - Plenary Lecture at the NZIC National Conference. All about the Periodic Table, November 25-30, 2019.

172. Puebla, Mexico - Invited Plenary Speaker in the Mexican National Meeting. Celebrating 150 years since the discovery of the periodic table, October 3, 2019.

171. University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls - Wilson Endowed lecture. The 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table. Where did it come from and where is it going? September 19, 2019.

170. Presentation to the Philosophy Department of Northern Iowa University, September 20, 2019.

169. Southern California Mineralogical Society - A Tale of Seven Elements, September 13, 2019.

168. Cornell University in Qatar, Invited Lecture, The Story of the Periodic Table, September 10th, 2019.

167. University of Qatar, Doha, Qatar - Plenary Lecture. The Story of the Periodic Table, September 9th, 2019.

166. San Diego, California - ACS Annual Meeting. The impact of 20th century physics on the periodic table and questions still outstanding in the 21st century, August 25-29, 2019.

165. Tartu, Estonia - Invited plenary lecture. Conference in honor of the late Rein Vihalemm, August 13-14, 2019.

164. The Royal Institution, London, UK - Public Lecture. Episodes from the history of the periodic table, Then and Now. August 9, 2019.

163. St. Petersburg, Russia - International Conference to Celebrate the UNESCO Year of the Periodic Table, July 26-28, 2019.

162. Invited Plenary Lecture, University of Malta. Tales from the Periodic Table, July 19-23, 2019.

161. Plenary Lecture, Department of Chemistry, Turin, Italy - Conference of International Society for Philosophy of Chemistry, July 15-17, 2019.

160. Antwerp, Belgium, Plenary lecture to Royal Flemish Chemical Society, The Discovery of the Periodic System.

159. Umea, Sweden, Oorgandagarna, Royal Swedish Chemical Society Annual Meeting, The Periodic Table, Its Story & Its Significance.

158. SciFest Africa 2019, Grahamstown, South Africa, The International Year of the Periodic Table, Video Lecture, March 6th, 2019.

157. The Periodic Table, Its Story & Its Significance, ACS Local Section, Minneapolis – St. Paul, 18th February, 2019.

156. Invited Lecture, Happy Sesquicentennial to the Periodic Table, Denver University, January 16th, 2019.

155. A Tale of Seven Scientists, UCLA Philosophy Group, January 10th, 2019.

2018
154. Eight debated questions concerning the distinction between elements as simple substances and as abstract bearers of properties, Philosophy of Science Association Biennial Meeting, Seattle WA, Oct 31 - Nov 4th, 2018.

153. A Tale of Seven Scientists, Invited Lecture to Department of Logic & Philosophy of Science, University of California, Irvine, 19th October, 2018.

152. An introduction to the Philosophy of Science, Southern California Mineralogy Society, Pasadena City College, September 2018.

151. Five Ideas in Chemical Education that Must Die, University of York, UK, July 20th, 2018.

150. What is the role of causation in Chemistry? 22nd Annual Meeting of International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, University of Bristol, July 16th-18th, 2018.

149. University of Texas, El Paso - Department of Chemistry Seminar. The Periodic Table, Its Story and Its Significance, March 23, 2018.

148. University of Texas, El Paso - Department of Philosophy Seminar. Round-table on diversity in science, March 24, 2018.

2017
147. The Periodic Table: Its Story & Its Significance, Southern California Mineralogical Club, Pasadena City College, Dec 8th, 2017.

146. Invited Plenary Lecture, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Southeastern Regional Meeting of American Chemical Society, November 11th, 2017.

145. Plenary lecture, University of Turin, Three Ideas in Chemical Education That Must Die, July 26th, 2017.

144. The Many Facets of the Periodic Table, Royal Institution of Great Britain, July 20th, 2017.

143. What impact has history and philosophy of science had on the chemistry textbook? Invited Plenary Lecture - Ulderico Segra Summer School of Chemical Education, July 12th-15th, 2017.

142. A Tale of Seven Scientists, Public Lecture, University of Turin, Department of Chemistry, July 10th, 2017.

141. The Many Facets of the Periodic Table, including the Historical and the Philosophical ones, University of Malta - Public Lecture, Department of Chemistry, July 7th, 2017.

140. Invited plenary lecture SPHERE Center, University of Paris Diderot, Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry, 21st annual meeting, July 3rd-5th, 2017.

139. Invited Plenary lecture, University of Paris Diderot, Seminar on History and Philosophy of Chemistry, Classification periodique d'histoire et de philosophie des sciences, June 29th, 2017.

138. A Tale of Seven Scientists, UCLA History of Science Colloqium, June 5th, 2017.

137. The Periodic Table, Its Story and Its Significance, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, March 27th, 2017

Motivational talks on popular science for students and parents. I can speak on various popular science topics such as what makes science different from other forms of knowledge, why science matters to everybody's life, the history of modern science, quantum theory, relativity, the periodic table of the elements, etc.