Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
Beyond crystals: the dialectic of materials and information
Julyan H E Cartwright1, Alan L Mackay
1Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC-Universidad de Granada, Campus Fuentenueva, E-18071 Granada, Spain. julyan.cartwright@csic.es
A new framework merging crystallography, materials science, and biology is emerging. This dynamic science focuses on information, processes, and systems, moving beyond classical structure to understand complex forms and functions.
Area of Science:
- Interdisciplinary science merging crystallography, materials science, and biology.
- Focus on information theory and dynamical systems for understanding structure and function.
- Exploration of quantum effects in atomic-level material properties.
Background:
- Classical crystallography is insufficient for complex biological and nanomaterials.
- Shift from equilibrium to metastable structures influenced by energy and information.
- Emergence of informational structures and synthetic life systems.
Discussion:
- Nonlinear, collective interactions and evolutionary histories in structures.
- Hierarchization as a unifying principle beyond crystal periodicity.
- Algorithmic complexity for categorizing information-based structures.
Key Insights:
- Convergence of disciplines driven by materials and biological questions.
- Understanding structure through dynamics, information, and energy flow.
- Potential for artificial construction of synthetic living systems.
Outlook:
- Development of a unified science of shape and structure beyond crystallography.
- Integration of concepts from dynamical systems and information theory.
- Future research in categorizing structures based on informational complexity.
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