

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Shechtman "for the discovery of quasicrystals". - gsivil
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2011/

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kia
Quasicrystals are an interesting thing. Basically all common crystals can be
represented by translation of a small unit cell in 3D space. OTOH
quasicrystals are structured forms of matter which cannot be represented by
repetition of such unit cell. These materials show some interesting elastic
properties and diffraction patterns. Quasicrystalline coatings have low
friction coefficient (similar to Teflon) and can be potentially used in
cookware [1].

[1] - <http://www.springerlink.com/content/134r413766433207/>

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gsivil
I recommend reading about Shechtman's discovery not just for its beauty but
also for the story of his persistence.

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myth_drannon
The Globe and Mail has the background story :
[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/israe...](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/israels-
daniel-shechtman-wins-nobel-prize-in-chemistry/article2191506/)

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ctdonath
...and the Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Makoto Imai, Naoki Urushihata,
Hideki Tanemura, Yukinobu Tajima, Hideaki Goto, Koichiro Mizoguchi and Junichi
Murakami of JAPAN, for determining the ideal density of airborne wasabi
(pungent horseradish) to awaken sleeping people in case of a fire or other
emergency, and for applying this knowledge to invent the wasabi alarm.

REFERENCE: US patent application 2010/0308995 A1. Filing date: Feb 5, 2009.

<http://www.improbable.com>

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nadav
He is the 10th Israeli to win the prize.

