Quasicrystals were long assumed to be entirely theoretical, due to their supposedly impossible atomic geometry. It wasn’t until 1982 that they were shown to exist at all – and even then, they were only seen in strictly controlled lab conditions. But LaPaz’s now-recognised discovery is one of a growing number proving that these materials can form outside the lab, and that they are far more common than anyone suspected. They might even turn out to be a new window on the turbulent history of Earth and the solar system as a whole.
#chemistry #quasicrystals
