Indiana Steinhardt and the Quest for Quasicrystals - A Conversation with Paul Steinhardt (eBook)

This book is based on an in-depth conversation between Howard Burton and Paul Steinhardt, the Albert Einstein Professor of Science and Director of the Center for Theoretical Science at Princeton University. This extensive conversation provides a comprehensive account of a marvellous scientific adventure story in the quest for a natural quasicrystal. You will be taken on a fascinating ride through the physics of materials, from theory, to the laboratory, to the discovery of a new state of matter, that culminated in Paul Steinhardt's dramatic Siberian expedition. Paul Steinhardt talks about his encounters with mineral smugglers, secret diaries and quasi-mythical characters during his "e;Indiana Jones"e; expedition from Florence to Israel, Amsterdam to California, Princeton to Kamchatka which led him to find quasicrystals that are quite literally out of this world... This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, Informed Authority, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:I. Introducing Quasicrystals - Innovative symmetries through visual disharmoniesII. Building Models - Forcing forbidden symmetriesIII. Out of the Blue - The real world intervenesIV. Competing Explanations - A three-horse raceV. Looking to Nature - Developing a separation algorithmVI. New Year's Delight - Persistence pays offVII. Confronting the Impossible - Encountering rock-hard scepticism VIII. Tracking Khatyrkite - Smoke, mirrors, and the holotype sampleIX. Kamchatka - Closure, and perhaps another beginning X. Passing It On - How to keep the flame of science burning brightlyAbout Ideas Roadshow Conversations Series: Presented in an accessible, conversational format, Ideas Roadshow books not only explore frontline academic research featuring world-leading researchers but also reveal the inspirations and personal journeys behind the research.