Professor Paul Steinhardt18 March 2019

A New Kind Of Matter - Professor Paul Steinhardt - #058

0Frameworks

13Insights

Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 2

Myth Buster02:30

Why You Can't Tile with Perfect Pentagons

For centuries, scientists believed that atoms could only form crystals with certain symmetries—like squares, triangles, or hexagons—because other shapes, like perfect pentagons, leave gaps when tiled. This was considered mathematically impossible, making such atomic arrangements forbidden in nature.

Perfect pentagons cannot tile a surface without gaps, making them unsuitable for traditional crystals.
This restriction applied to atomic arrangements in three dimensions as well.
Fivefold symmetry was long considered 'impossible' in natural matter.

“If I gave you perfect pentagons and asked you to tile your floor, you’d find it’s impossible without leaving spaces.”
Paul Steinhardt · 03:00

#geometry#crystallography#mathematics

Myth Buster25:30

Metallic Aluminum Shouldn’t Exist in Nature

Geologist Lincoln Hollister insisted the sample couldn’t be natural because it contained metallic aluminum—an element that always bonds with oxygen on Earth. This led to the radical hypothesis that the sample formed deep underground or in space, where oxygen is scarce.

Aluminum binds instantly with oxygen and shouldn’t exist in metallic form on Earth.
Hollister suggested the sample must have formed deep in Earth’s mantle or in space.
This pushed the team toward investigating extraterrestrial origins.

“What you have there is impossible. Metallic aluminum doesn’t exist in nature.”
Lincoln Hollister · 26:00

#geochemistry#geology#planetary science

Explainer· 2

Explainer00:30

What Is a Quasicrystal?

A quasicrystal is a newly discovered form of matter with atomic arrangements that break centuries-old rules of crystallography. Unlike regular crystals, which have repeating atomic patterns, quasicrystals have ordered but non-repeating structures that allow for symmetries once thought impossible, such as fivefold symmetry.

Quasicrystals have ordered but non-repeating atomic arrangements.
They exhibit symmetries like fivefold rotation, previously thought impossible in nature.
They differ from regular crystals, which rely on periodically repeating building blocks.

“We were wrong. What we once thought was impossible actually is possible.”
Paul Steinhardt · 02:00

#materials science#physics#crystallography

Explainer08:00

How Two Tile Types Break the Rules

The breakthrough came when Steinhardt and his student realized that using two different building blocks with mismatched repetition frequencies—called 'quasiperiodic' order—allowed for stable structures with forbidden symmetries like fivefold rotation, overturning long-standing assumptions.

Using two tile types with incommensurate frequencies enables quasiperiodic patterns.
This loophole allows for previously 'impossible' symmetries like fivefold rotation.
Mathematically, this opened an infinite number of new possible structures.

“Suppose I allow the possibility of two building blocks… then all the rules about what’s allowed and disallowed get broken.”
Paul Steinhardt · 08:30

#theoretical physics#mathematics#materials science

Story· 4

Story10:00

The Accidental Discovery That Changed Everything

While Steinhardt was developing the theory, Dan Shechtman at the National Bureau of Standards accidentally discovered a material with forbidden fivefold symmetry. His electron diffraction data matched Steinhardt’s theoretical predictions exactly, confirming quasicrystals existed in nature.

Dan Shechtman found a material violating known crystallographic rules.
His electron diffraction pattern matched Steinhardt’s theoretical model.
This confirmed quasicrystals were not just theoretical but real.

“He didn’t know what to make of it. It was somehow wrong.”
Paul Steinhardt · 10:30

#scientific discovery#experimental physics#serendipity

Story21:00

The Breakthrough in Florence

After years of searching, Italian mineralogist Luca Bindi identified a promising sample in his museum’s collection. Tiny grains within it produced a perfect quasicrystal diffraction pattern—cleaner than any lab-made version—proving natural quasicrystals existed.

Luca Bindi found a mineral with chemistry similar to known lab-made quasicrystals.
Electron microscopy revealed a pristine quasicrystal pattern.
This was the first confirmed natural quasicrystal.

“It was as good as anything man-made… but it was not made by man.”
Paul Steinhardt · 22:30

#mineralogy#scientific discovery#serendipity

Story32:00

The International Detective Hunt

To trace the sample’s origin, Steinhardt and Bindi embarked on a global investigation—tracking down collectors, verifying mineral fakes, and following clues through Russia and Israel—eventually linking the sample to a Soviet-era geologist and a remote site in Kamchatka.

The sample was traced to a collector in Amsterdam.
A chance conversation led to the widow of the collector, who revealed a secret diary.
This uncovered smuggling ties to a Russian lab and a remote Kamchatka site.

“It’s like the mineralogist’s version of The Da Vinci Code.”
Chris · 24:30

#scientific investigation#geology#adventure

Story51:00

The Dangerous Expedition to Find More

Determined to find more samples, Steinhardt organized a risky expedition to the restricted northern Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. After four days crossing tundra in armored vehicles, the team collected material that yielded new quasicrystal grains, confirming their origin.

The team traveled to a remote, restricted region of Russia.
They collected tons of sediment, panning for dense grains like gold miners.
Back in the lab, they confirmed new quasicrystals from the same meteorite.

“You have to get permission from the FSB, the military, and local authorities. It’s a bureaucratic nightmare.”
Paul Steinhardt · 51:30

#expedition#geology#fieldwork

Q&A· 2

Q&A14:30

Why Hadn’t We Found Natural Quasicrystals Before?

Despite creating quasicrystals in labs, none had been found in nature for decades. Steinhardt questioned why, suspecting they might exist but be overlooked or hidden in museum collections or rare geological samples.

Quasicrystals were made in labs but never seen in nature.
Steinhardt wondered if they existed but were misidentified.
He began searching museum collections and mineral databases.

“Why isn’t it that we had never seen them in nature?”
Paul Steinhardt · 14:45

#mineralogy#geology#scientific inquiry

Q&A58:00

How Did Nature Make These Quasicrystals?

Two leading theories suggest quasicrystals formed either through 'solar lightning' in the early solar system or from material created in violent stellar collisions, possibly predating our solar system—making them messengers from a time before planets.

Solar lightning could have separated aluminum from oxygen in dust clouds.
Stellar collisions might have produced oxygen-poor, metal-rich debris.
Some quasicrystals may be 'presolar,' older than the Sun itself.

“Maybe our quasicrystals are examples of presolar grains… formed from nearby astronomical events.”
Paul Steinhardt · 59:30

#astrophysics#cosmochemistry#theoretical models

Tool· 1

Tool61:00

Three Natural Quasicrystals Discovered

The team discovered not one but three distinct natural quasicrystals in the meteorite: one with icosahedral symmetry, another with decagonal symmetry, and a third with a previously unknown composition, marking the first time nature beat the lab.

First: aluminum-copper-iron with fivefold symmetry.
Second: aluminum-nickel-iron with tenfold symmetry.
Third: a new aluminum-copper-iron composition never seen before in labs.

“That’s the first example of a quasicrystal that nature made and that we discovered in nature before we made it in the laboratory.”
Paul Steinhardt · 62:30

#materials science#discovery#meteorites

Takeaway· 2

Takeaway49:30

Quasicrystals Came From a Pre-Planetary Meteorite

The quasicrystals were not terrestrial but came from a meteorite older than Earth itself—formed before the planets, in conditions involving high-speed collisions in space, revealing entirely unknown natural processes.

The meteorite predates the formation of Earth.
It formed under extreme, high-impact conditions in space.
This explains how oxygen-free metallic aluminum could exist.

“This meteorite is as old as the solar system. It formed before the planets.”
Paul Steinhardt · 49:45

#meteorites#planetary science#cosmochemistry

Takeaway63:00

Why Quasicrystals Matter for Technology

Quasicrystals are already used in durable aluminum alloys and non-stick coatings. Their unique atomic structures also make them ideal candidates for photonic semiconductors—materials that could one day replace electronics with faster, more efficient light-based computing.

Used in strong, lightweight aluminum alloys for aerospace.
Found in non-stick coatings and industrial parts.
Their symmetry makes them ideal for controlling light in photonic circuits.

“Quasicrystals treat light much the way semiconductors treat electrons. It’s a semiconductor for light.”
Paul Steinhardt · 65:00

#technology#materials engineering#photonics