Dmitri Mendeleev

The scientist who saw order in the Universe

Who is he?

Dmitri Mendeleev is a Russian scientist known for creating the Periodic table.

Why is he an overman?

Mendeleev found order in the Universe and created the most romantic table which merges magic and reality. He saw something that was right there in front of everyone and was able to capture it on paper.

From a purely scientific perspective, his invention is remarkable because he left gaps for elements that had not yet been discovered. He predicted the properties of those missing elements decades before other scientists observed them for the first time.

Among his friends, Mendeleev was known for being eccentric but brilliant, with long hair and an untidy appearance that became part of his public image. He had a strong personality and was not afraid to challenge widely accepted ideas.

Quotes:

There is nothing in this world that I fear to say.

Short biography:

08 February 1834 – 02 February 1907

Dmitri Mendeleev was born in Tobolsk, the Russian Empire, as the youngest child in a family with between 15 and 17 children. His father was a teacher but went blind, which pushed the family into financial difficulties. His mother had to reopen her family’s glass factory to support the household, but after it burned down, she helped Dmitri continue his education in the Main Pedagogical Institute in Saint Petersburg.

While studying the characteristics of chemical elements, Mendeleev noticed repeating patterns which allowed him to form the periodic table. His invention revolutionized chemistry and made it a much more organized science. Beyond chemistry, he also worked on improving Russian agriculture and oil production, and even contributed to the development of standards for measurements and weights in Russia.

Mendeleev married two times and had several children. His second marriage was considered controversial because he did not wait until the end of the legally required waiting period after his divorce. He remained a respected figure in the scientific community for his whole life.