The British Association for the Advancement of Science: First photographs of 'impossible' crystal

A CRYSTAL with a five-fold symmetry, a structure scientists had thought was impossible, photographed by a team from the Natural History Museum in London, which made the discovery. It believes the photographs of the structure are a first.

The discovery was made while examining pictures produced using imaging tools looking down a fibre of green asbestos. The team is investigating the atomic structure of crysotile asbestos because it is so toxic. The image showed a ring structure with 15 prongs, suggesting that the crystal was made up of atoms arranged in groups of five.

(Photograph omitted)