Three things make these displays more than just a collection of elements. First, we have gone to some lengths to include, along with the samples themselves, interesting examples of each element's application in the world. If you click on any of the element cubes in the large photo-mosiac below, you can explore the range of exhibits we have included.

Secondly, we have designed the installation to be interactive with built-in touch sensors. Selecting any of the element symbols calls up detailed text and photographic information about the selected substance on a computer (an Apple iMac) built into the cabinet. In many cases this information includes video footage showing spectacular experiments and industrial uses of the element in question. We plan to make these video available here on this website in due course.

The third significant feature of these large displays is quite simply that they are beautiful objects in their own right. It has been a delight at DePauw to see how people are drawn in to the tableaux of the cubes, where the story of each element unfolds. The cabinet is crafted in beautiful cherry hardwood (other finishes are available) and the glowing noble gas symbols are a beacon that attract people from a distance.