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

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 'Indiana Jones' 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.