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Producing highly complicated materials. Nature does it better

Gervais Chapuis
2020
Journal paper
Abstract

Through the years, mineralogical studies have produced a tremendous amount of data on the atomic arrangement and mineral properties. Quite often, structural analysis has led to elucidate the role played by minor components, giving interesting insights into the physico-chemical conditions of minerals and allowing the description of unpredictable structures that represented a body of knowledge critical for assessing their technological potentialities. Using such a rich database, containing many basic acquisitions, further steps became appropriate and possible, into the directions of more advanced knowledge frontiers. Some of these frontiers assume the name of modularity, complexity, aperiodicity, and matter organization at not conventional levels, and will be discussed in this review.

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Related concepts (29)
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization. History of mineralogy Early writing on mineralogy, especially on gemstones, comes from ancient Babylonia, the ancient Greco-Roman world, ancient and medieval China, and Sanskrit texts from ancient India and the ancient Islamic world.
Structural analysis
Structural analysis is a branch of solid mechanics which uses simplified models for solids like bars, beams and shells for engineering decision making. Its main objective is to determine the effect of loads on the physical structures and their components. In contrast to theory of elasticity, the models used in structure analysis are often differential equations in one spatial variable. Structures subject to this type of analysis include all that must withstand loads, such as buildings, bridges, aircraft and ships.
Second-language acquisition
Second-language acquisition (SLA), sometimes called second-language learning — otherwise referred to as L2 (language 2) acquisition, is the process by which people learn a second language. Second-language acquisition is also the scientific discipline devoted to studying that process. The field of second-language acquisition is regarded by some but not everybody as a sub-discipline of applied linguistics but also receives research attention from a variety of other disciplines, such as psychology and education.
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