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The Infinite Pattern That Never Repeats

Veritasium4 HN recommenders · 2021–2023
21.9M views · explainer · evergreen · Uploaded 2020-09-30

Veritasium explains how Penrose tilings and quasicrystals overturned the belief that 5-fold symmetry and non-periodic crystals were impossible, including an interview with Paul Steinhardt.

Strongly recommended as a mind-bending, approachable explanation of aperiodic patterns, even enjoyable with kids.

Recreational & visual mathMaterials sciencePure mathematics

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4 comments from Hacker News

@pseudolus2021 · in “First nuclear detonation created ‘impossible’ quasicrystals”

The Youtube channel "Veritasium" featured a great video on Penrose tilings and their relationship to quasicrystals [0]. A fascinating example of a mathematical discovery with a previously unsuspected physical incarnation. [0] [VIDEO]

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@namelosw2021 · in “The first atomic bomb created ‘forbidden’ quasicrystal”

I just happened to come across this fascinating video[0] yesterday that explained the same thing. And he mentioned the crystal as well. [0] The Infinite Pattern That Never Repeats: [VIDEO]

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@belter2021 · in “The first atomic bomb created ‘forbidden’ quasicrystal”

Great video thanks for sharing. My brain still hurting, it tried to explode at 14.38 :-) [VIDEO] Also quite interesting these are found in a few meteorites. I wonder if somebody is confidentially keeping some quasicrystal with very special properties somewhere. "Third-ever natural quasicrystal found in Siberian meteorite" [LINK]

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@MontagFTB2023 · in “Mathematicians discover shape that can tile a wall and never repeat”

My kids and I geeked out over the Veritasium video on Penrose tiles ( [VIDEO] ). It is pretty exciting to see approachable math like this being discovered before our eyes.

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