Crystal & Sinus
Hey Sinus, have you ever thought about how quartz crystals grow into those perfect six‑fold shapes? The geometry is really a dance of symmetry and pressure.
Yes, the six‑fold faces are just the lattice repeating itself under pressure, a bit like a probability curve where only certain orientations have the lowest surface energy. I find that rule as satisfying as a well‑calculated set of irrational numbers.
That's a neat way to put it, Sinus. I once spotted a quartz crystal with a flawless six‑fold symmetry that made me wonder how much pressure shapes the subtle quirks. Do those patterns ever surprise you?
Surprise? Not really, the pattern follows the same math. Pressure just selects the stable orientations.
That’s the textbook explanation, and it usually holds up. I remember one time I found a quartz crystal with a tiny extra facet that broke the perfect six‑fold pattern—made me pause and double‑check the math. It’s those little deviations that keep me on my toes.