Daniel Shechtman, an Israeli scientist, has won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering “quasicrystals.”
“What the hell is a quasicrystal?” you’re asking!
Well:
His discovery, which was made in 1982, has “fundamentally altered how chemists conceive of solid matter,” according to the academy. Unlike other crystals, quasicrystals do not have a repeating pattern at the molecular level. They are very hard, but break easily, like glass.
Incredible! We had no idea. We’re no chemists.
So what does that mean for us? And why does he deserve the $1.44 million dollar prize that comes with the distinction?
“Due to their unique atomic structure, they are also bad conductors of heat and electricity, and have nonstick surfaces. Their poor thermal transport properties may make them useful as so-called thermoelectric materials, which convert heat into electricity.”
