reply on: Crystal structures that won't form anymore, even though they did few decades ago \ stacker news ~science

34 sats \ 4 replies \ @zuspotirko OP 16 Jul \ parent \ on: Crystal structures that won't form anymore, even though they did few decades ago science

this seed crystal logic is so crazy

Although I have a hard time imagining all of earths atmosphere is the source of these seed crystals. And that they are unable to create an absolutely sterile environment from it. Theoretically they should only have to create their target seed crystals once, right? Idk, what do I know

5 sats \ 1 reply \ @anon 16 Jul

Based on reading about this issue I think one way to get around this problem has been to create an absolutely sterile environment. It's just really difficult and expensive.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @south_korea_ln 16 Jul

Exactly. And you'd have to keep it sterile even after creating it. Which is even more impractical.

3 sats \ 1 reply \ @south_korea_ln 16 Jul

Yeah, I have a hard time wrapping my head around it.

My guess is that, even though they might be able to create a target crystal in a clean room, as soon as it starts being distributed around to customers, it can suffer from contamination from a single seed in the environment that triggers the transformation from the whole target crystal into the patented more stable crystal.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @south_korea_ln 16 Jul

This peer-reviewed article goes into more detail, but I don't have time to read it. In the Wikipedia page you cited it also mentions that some people believed it to be junk science or alchemy.