A new theory 'demystifies' the crystallization process and shows that the material that crystallizes is the dominant component within a solution -- which is the solvent, not the solute. The theory ...

Many substances display crystallization, allowing them to keep adding to a basic shape to reach pretty humongous proportions. Although we usually tend to think of pretty stones that get fashioned into ...

Sometimes engineers invent something before they fully comprehend why it works. To understand the "why," they must often create new tools and techniques in a virtuous cycle that improves the original ...

The US Department of Agriculture estimates that sugar beets account for over half of domestic sugar production. Sugar beets, produced all over the northern Great Plains, must be treated to extract and ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...

A recent theory challenges conventional understanding of crystallization. It shows that the dominant element in a solution—the solvent, not the solute—is the material that crystallizes. This finding, ...