The Second Kind of Impossible

Paul Steinhardt's "The Second Kind of Impossible" chronicles an exhilarating, thirty-five-year scientific odyssey to redefine our understanding of matter. Beginning in the 1980s, when conventional wisdom dictated all possible forms of matter were known, Steinhardt was inspired by a curious geometric pattern to theorize a radical new substance: the quasicrystal. Initially dismissed as impossible by the scientific community due to its violation of long-held laws, Steinhardt's quest unfolded in two ambitious stages: first, to prove the viability of these unique structures, and then, to confirm his boldest conjecture—that quasicrystals exist in nature. This gripping narrative reads like a scientific detective story, filled with unexpected twists, from encounters with clandestine collectors and corrupt scientists to international smugglers and KGB agents. The journey culminates in a daring expedition to a remote corner of the Earth, in pursuit of fragments of a meteorite forged at the solar system's dawn. Steinhardt’s groundbreaking discoveries not only challenge established scientific paradigms about patterns and matter but also unveil new truths about the cosmic processes that shaped our universe.