The Snowflake Myth
Why Hacker News recommends it
Recommended as a fantastic, scientist-led explanation of snowflake formation.
What it is
Veritasium visits snowflake expert Dr Ken Libbrecht, who grows designer snowflakes in the lab. The video explains how snowflakes form and why they take so many shapes.
Recommended by 1 HN commenters across 1 different months, 2022 to 2023.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec technojamin · 2023-12 · on “The highest-resolution photos of snowflakes (2021)”
Here's a fantastic Veritasium video about snowflakes with a scientist that basically figured out all of the ways they can form: [this video]
Cites alexvoda · 2022-06 · on “Study confirms superior sound of a Stradivari is due to wood treatment (2021)”
You suggest that I do not see the forest for the trees. I say that words have meanings, and that extraordinary claims need evidence. A material in which atoms (or molecules) are aligned is called a crystal. The process by which atoms align is called crystallisation. If we expand the concept of alignment we may consider atoms that are part of a polymer molecule to be "aligned". A material in which larger structures are aligned is a metamaterial. Beyond this level, referring to the alignment of atoms does not make sense. Sound can affect the process of crystallisation of a liquid because the formation of crystals is influenced by pressure. See [this video] But claiming that there is any crystallisa
Cites shagie · 2022-12 · on “How A Vermont Farmer Proved No Snowflakes Are Alike”
In lab situations, it is possible to grow "identical twins". Some various coverage on Professor Libbrecht and his snow flakes... KEQD: [LINK] Quartz: [LINK] Veritasium: [this video] And if you want to dig deep: [LINK]