I love my little daughters very very much and am very proud of them for just being themselves. But they’ve learned how to do something over the last few months that, as an aspiring nuclear engineer, makes me just about bust my buttons with pride. They’ve learned (almost) the whole periodic table:

When I was at the American Nuclear Society conference in Atlanta this week, I was hoping to show this ability to a group of peers, and the right opportunity presented itself in a session about public education. As the next speakers were setting up their talk on getting girls excited about math and science, I asked to show my own personal efforts to get two girls more interested in science.

Zoe, my oldest, is about to turn 7 and loves to read and ride her bike (which she recently learned how to do). This whole thing got started when I introduced Zoe to the idea that everything in the world is made out of “stuff” that is listed on a table called “the periodic table”. I printed a blank one out and taught Zoe how to fill it out, and that’s how all this got started.

Kaija is my second child, and she turns 5 tomorrow. When Zoe learns how to do something Kaija’s not far behind. Zoe learned how to ride a bike and Kaija, through sheer determination, learned four days later. So it’s not surprising that Kaija wanted to learn “the periodic table” just like Zoe did.

So here is the video, shot by my friend Rod Adams, who was also good enough to post it to YouTube. Enjoy!

And of course at the end when asked, “what’s Daddy’s favorite element?” they respond in unison:

“THORIUM!”