What crystallography can do for you

The aim of this short video is to announce 2014 as the International Year of Crystallography. Crystallography is that branch of science that is concerned with the investigation of the arrangement of atoms in matter. It is from the basic knowledge of how atoms are linked to each other to form molecules or extended structures that the properties and behaviour of materials can be understood. Crystallography is thus vital in chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, mineralogy, and other disciplines. Hence the title of the video: IYCr2014: What crystallography can do for you. Our commitment for 2014 is to tell the world about the enormous contribution that crystallography makes to society.

Category: Science & Technology. Duration: 1m 24s

 License: Creative Commons

Forbidden crystal symmetry in mathematics and architecture

Revealing forbidden symmetry

Sir Roger Penrose provides a unique insight into the "forbidden symmetry" of his famous penrose tiles and the use of non-repeating patterns in design and architecture. It is a rigorous mathematical theorem that the only crystallographic symmetries are 2-fold, 3-fold, 4-fold, and 6-fold symmetries.

Yet, since the 1970s 5-fold, 8-fold, 10-fold and 12-fold "almost" symmetric patterns have been exhibited, showing that such crystallographically "forbidden symmetries" are mathematically possible and deviate from exact symmetry by an arbitrarily small amount. Such patterns are often beautiful to behold and designs based on these arrangements have now been used in many buildings throughout the world.

In this Ri event Sir Roger Penrose reveals the mathematical underpinnings and origins of these "forbidden symmetries" and other related patterns. His talk is illustrated with numerous examples of their use in architectural design including a novel version of "Penrose tiling" that appears in the approach to the main entrance of the new Mathematics Institute in Oxford, officially opened in late 2013.

The tiling is constructed from several thousand diamond-shaped granite tiles of just two different shapes, decorated simply with circular arcs of stainless steel. The matching of the tiles forces them into an overall pattern which never repeats itself and exhibits remarkable aspects of 5-fold and 10-fold symmetry.

Similar features have been found also in the atomic structures of quasi-crystalline materials. The initial discovery of such material earned Dan Shectman the 2011 Nobel Prize for chemistry, his work having launched a completely novel area of crystallography.

Images of the completed Mathematics Institute in Oxford courtesy of Vanesa Penrose. The filming and production of this event was supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Production by Edward Prosser. Additional camera operation by Mark Billy Svensson. 

Published: 2014
Filmed: 2013. Duration: 58m 13s
Credits: Royal Institution

License: © Royal Institution

The Mystery of the Giant Crystals

The Cave of the Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales) in the Naica Mine, Chihuahua, Mexico, houses some of the largest natural crystals ever found. They are selenite, a form of the mineral gypsum (CaSO₄.2H₂O). Juan Manuel Garcíia Ruiz and his colleagues investigate the conditions under which these huge crystals have grown over the course of thousands of years. The temperatures in the subterranean caverns are over 50°C, and the caves are filled with water containing a variety of minerals leached from the surrounding rocks.

Duration: 50m 53s

© 2014 Trianatech.com - All rights reserved

El Misterio de los Cristales Gigantes

La Cueva de los Cristales en la mina de Naica, Chihuahua, México, alberga algunos de los más grandes cristales naturales que se han encontrado. Son selenito, una forma del yeso mineral (CaSO₄.2H₂O). Juan Manuel García Ruiz y sus colegas investigan las condiciones en que estos enormes cristales han crecido a lo largo de miles de años. Las temperaturas en las cavernas subterráneas son más de 50° C, y las cuevas están llenas de agua que contiene una variedad de minerales lixiviados de las rocas circundantes.

Duration: 50m 54s

© 2014 Trianatech.com - All rights reserved

Il Mistero dei Cristalli Giganti

La Grotta dei Cristalli (Cueva de los Cristales) nella miniera di Naica, Chihuahua, Messico, ospita alcuni dei più grandi cristalli naturali mai trovati. Si tratta di cristalli di selenite, una particolare forma di gesso (CaSO₄.2H₂O). Juan Manuel García Ruiz e i suoi colleghi indagano sulle condizioni in cui questi enormi cristalli sono cresciuti nel corso di migliaia di anni. La temperatura nelle caverne sotterranee è oltre 50° C, e le grotte sono riempite con acqua contenente una varietà di minerali lisciviati dalle rocce circostanti.

Duration: 50m 58s

© 2014 Trianatech.com - All rights reserved

Le Mystère des Cristaux Géants

La Grotte des Cristaux (Cueva de los Cristales) dans la mine de Naica, Chihuahua, Mexique, abrite quelques-uns des plus grands cristaux naturels jamais trouvés. Ils sont sélénite, une forme de gypse minéral (CaSO₄.2H₂O). Juan Manuel García Ruiz et ses collègues enquêtent sur les conditions dans lesquelles ces énormes cristaux ont grandi au cours de milliers d'années. Les températures dans les cavernes souterraines sont plus de 50° C, et les grottes sont remplis avec de l'eau contenant une variété de minéraux lessivés des roches environnantes.

Duration: 50m 58s

© 2014 Trianatech.com - All rights reserved

Revolutionary Biology. Part 1

The building blocks of life

Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells, which all have to communicate with each other for things to work correctly.

As well as performing many functions in the body, proteins help our cells to communicate. Every protein within the body has its own job to do. Some are involved in structural support and bodily movement, while others help us fight off germs.

When a protein’s function is inhibited, cell communication is compromised, which can cause diseases such as cancer.

It makes you wonder how it all works. Is it just luck or organised chaos?  Find out more in Part 2: Oxford and the history of structural biology.

Duration: 5m 29s

© 2014 Offices of the Nuffield Professor of Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford

Dorothy Hodgkin, Biochemist

In a series of conversations with Guy Dodson recorded in 1990, the British pioneer of X-ray crystallography, Dorothy Hodgkin (1910-1994), remembers many aspects of her life an work. She is best known for her ground-breaking discovery of the structures of penicillin, insulin and vitamin B12. She was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and is also known for peace work.

Published: 2008 on the Web of Stories 'Live' channel.
Recorded in 1990.
Duration: 41 clips, each a few minutes in length