For the first time, researchers have hard evidence that human-made hexagonal diamonds are stiffer than cubic diamonds found in nature and often used in jewelry. Hexagonal diamonds have been found at ...

To generate the needed nanometre-scale pattern, we strive to avoid a serial process such as electron beam lithography. Instead, we take advantage of the same interfacial orientation effects that ...

Pop quiz: what is the world’s hardest material? Answer: it’s diamond, of course. Thanks to the crystal structure of diamonds, with carbon atoms arranged into a lattice-like structure, diamond is top ...

Scientists have used a mix of physical and chemical properties to bend salt into hexagonal crystals for the first time ever. They formed the thin layer of crystalline salt on a substrate (foundation ...

Researchers have identified hexagonal perovskite-related oxides as materials with exceptionally high proton conductivity and thermal stability. Their unique crystal structure and large number of ...

In the iconic "Sound of Music" score, "My Favorite Things," a young Julie Andrews lists snowflakes as objects that bring her joy. While some people would rather avoid snowflakes and the slippery roads ...

Honeybees have evolved over time to skillfully build hexagonal honeycomb cells. Why might a hexagon be a suitable shape for storing honey? Could other shapes, such as circles, triangles, or squares, ...

The James Webb Space Telescope finished the first major stage in its long process of aligning the observatory's 18-segmented primary mirror. A single star that the observatory looked at was ...