They were supposed to be impossible
Published in · 5 min read · Dec 8, 2018
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The name “time crystals” conjures up fantastical images of traversing magic portals to go backward or forward in time. They sound alien; something which could not possibly exist on our planet but instead are a technology harbored by a more advanced civilization. The crystals might grow white and shrouded in an otherworldly glow of blues and reds or some opalescent mixture of hues that radiates around them. In short, beautiful but ultimately mythical.
Except time crystals aren’t a myth. And while they’re not capable of such feats as controlling time or traveling through dimensions, they are the first of their kind and are a fascinating addition to our understanding of physics.
Normal crystals, with their strong, sharp corners and gradient colors, are already considered magical. They show up in our games to give us powers and are used in ritual practices to bring healing or clarity. Really they’re a number of bonded atoms which repeat in a specific pattern, creating a crystal lattice that exists in 3 dimensions. This crystal structure breaks what is known as the symmetry of space. Symmetry of space is the ability to sample any part of the space to find the same composition, like sampling a tank full of water and knowing that the water near the top will be the same as…
