The Quasi-Crystal: A Natural State of Matter

An alternative theory holds that quasi-crystals assemble randomly. The atoms form symmetric clusters that then arrange themselves in arbitrary ways. If this theory is correct, then there are no forces dictating how adjacent clusters must join together. This would mean that quasi- Crystals are not completely stable. Over time, they will decompose,. Michael Whittom, a physicist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who helped develop this entropic theory. After years of failed searches, punctuated with false positives, the presence of stishivite in the Florence specimen meant vindication.