The second kind of impossible : the extraordinary quest for a new form of matter
(Book)
Author
Published
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2019.
Format
Book
Status
Roy & Helen Hall Memorial Library - Adult Nonfiction
530.41 STE
1 available
530.41 STE
1 available
Description
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Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Roy & Helen Hall Memorial Library - Adult Nonfiction | 530.41 STE | On Shelf |
More Details
Published
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2019.
Physical Desc
viii, 387 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 22 cm
Language
English
Notes
General Note
Includes index.
Citation/References
Booklist,,December 01, 2018
Citation/References
Library Journal,,December 01, 2018
Citation/References
Kirkus Reviews,,October 15, 2018
Citation/References
Publishers Weekly,,October 08, 2018
Description
One of the most fascinating scientific detective stories of the last fifty years, an exciting quest for a new form of matter. The Second Kind of Impossible reads like James Gleick's Chaos combined with an Indiana Jones adventure. When leading Princeton physicist Paul Steinhardt began working in the 1980s, scientists thought they knew all the conceivable forms of matter. The Second Kind of Impossible is the story of Steinhardt's thirty-five-year-long quest to challenge conventional wisdom. It begins with a curious geometric pattern that inspires two theoretical physicists to propose a radically new type of matter-one that raises the possibility of new materials with never before seen properties, but that violates laws set in stone for centuries. Steinhardt dubs this new form of matter "quasicrystal." The rest of the scientific community calls it simply impossible. The Second Kind of Impossible captures Steinhardt's scientific odyssey as it unfolds over decades, first to prove viability, and then to pursue his wildest conjecture-that nature made quasicrystals long before humans discovered them. Along the way, his team encounters clandestine collectors, corrupt scientists, secret diaries, international smugglers, and KGB agents. Their quest culminates in a daring expedition to a distant corner of the Earth, in pursuit of tiny fragments of a meteorite forged at the birth of the solar system. Steinhardt's discoveries chart a new direction in science. They not only change our ideas about patterns and matter, but also reveal new truths about the processes that shaped our solar system. The underlying science is important, simple, and beautiful-and Steinhardt's firsthand account is an engaging scientific thriller.
Target Audience
Adult,Brodart.
Target Audience
Adult,Brodart.
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Steinhardt, P. J. (2019). The second kind of impossible: the extraordinary quest for a new form of matter . Simon & Schuster.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Steinhardt, Paul J.. 2019. The Second Kind of Impossible: The Extraordinary Quest for a New Form of Matter. Simon & Schuster.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Steinhardt, Paul J.. The Second Kind of Impossible: The Extraordinary Quest for a New Form of Matter Simon & Schuster, 2019.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Steinhardt, Paul J.. The Second Kind of Impossible: The Extraordinary Quest for a New Form of Matter Simon & Schuster, 2019.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.