Only impossible if you don’t look… Quasicrystals in the cosmos

Only impossible if you don’t look… Quasicrystals in the cosmos

Inaugural conferences

Guest: Luca Bindi
Presented by: Antonio Funedda

Until 2009, the only known quasicrystals were synthetic, having formed exclusively in laboratory experiments. Then came the news that a quasicrystal had been discovered inside a rock from far eastern Russia. Subsequent studies showed that the rock was a piece of a rare meteorite (known as Khatyrka). At present, the only known examples of natural quasicrystals come from the Khatyrka meteorite. Does this mean that these exotic materials must be extremely rare in the Universe? During this talk, the author will take the audience on a cosmic-scale excursion ranging from pre-solar materials, through nuclear test debris to recently formed fulgurites. We will present several reasons that quasicrystals could prove to be among the most ubiquitous minerals found in the Universe. The author will also discuss how quasicrystals are an example of how sometimes being too uncritical of conventional wisdom can hinder research and progress in understanding the wonders of this world and beyond.

Prof. Luca Bindi

Luca Bindi holds the chair of Mineralogy and is Director of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Florence. He has received national and international scientific awards and has been honored by two Presidents of Italy for his discoveries. Since 2019 he has been a member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. He is the author of over 400 scientific publications.

Quasicrystals

The adventure of a discovery
TAB Edizioni

A fragment of popular science that opens our gaze to a crucial and extraordinary discovery. From the words of the Aspen Prize winner, the story of the intricate and fascinating path that led him to seek that experimental proof of the existence of quasicrystals that seemed impossible to find in nature. With tenacity and intuition, Bindi and Steinhardt undertook an expedition that has the characteristics of an adventure, full of charm, unknowns and difficulties. A physical, human and scientific journey, which starts from Italy, crosses the United States, reaches the Russian Far East and winks at space. Intense research into forbidden and impossible materials, which led to a revelation that breaks dogmas and certainties consolidated over hundreds of years. A research that attempts to answer insidious questions: does the quasicrystal exist? Is it scientifically possible? Did it form on Earth or did it come from space?

November 9, 2023

|  4.00pm - 7.00pm

Event location:
Great Hall of the Rectorate
Via Università 40, Cagliari

Access to the Cagliari FestivalScienza activities is free for everyone. Reservations are required only for schools and organized groups.