Over the years I’ve seen many renditions of the periodic table (some of which have even been in three dimensions) and here’s the latest reincarnation. US Patent 7938646 for a three-dimensional periodic table was awarded to Michael Aldersley on May 10th 2011.

Quite what one would do with this I’m not sure, but it’s certainly interesting to look at and I suppose that it will find many purposes when in the hands of creative folk! Why not cut one out and build it?