The Wisconsin State Journal has featured director of crystallography at UW-Madison, Ilia Guzei, in a new piece, Blue Sky Science: How are crystals made?
The segment opens up with nine-year old Abby Webb of Mineral Point Elementary School asking, “How are crystals made?”
UW-Madison senior scientist Guzei goes on to explain in simple terms the act of crystal formation from chaos to perfection and how this process differs from many biological systems.
The three steps of nucleation, growth and termination are described along with unique types of formations that can result from growth patterns.
The UW-Madison Chemistry Department has been involved in an outreach program since 2014 in which high school and middle school students throughout the state compete to see who can grow the best crystals.
Blue Sky Science is a monthly series collaboration between the Wisconsin State Journal and the Morgridge Institute for Research in which a visitor to Science Saturdays at the Discovery Building poses a question and an expert provides the answer.