A mathematical truth is timeless, it does not come into being when we discover it. - Erwin Schrödinger

In physics we have dealt hitherto only with periodic crystals. To a humble physicist's mind, these are very interesting and complicated objects; they constitute one of the most fascinating and complex material structures by which inanimate nature puzzles his wits. Yet, compared with the aperiodic crystal, they are rather plain and dull. The difference in structure is of the same kind as that between an ordinary wallpaper in which the same pattern is repeated again and again in regular periodicity and a masterpiece of embroidery, say a Raphael tapestry, which shows no dull repetition, but an elaborate, coherent, meaningful design traced by the great master.

(...) porque os átomos são tão pequenos? Para começar, eles são mesmo muito pequenos. Toda pequena porção de matéria manuseada na vida cotidiana contém um número enorme deles. Muitos exemplos foram desenvolvidos para dar ao público uma ideia disso, nenhum mais impressionante que o usado por Lord Kelvin: suponha que você pudesse marcar as moléculas em um copo d'água; coloque então o conteúdo do copo no oceano e agite este de forma a poder distribuir as moléculas uniformemente pelos sete mares; se você, então, pegasse um copo d'água de qualquer lugar do oceano, encontraria nele cerca de 100 de suas moléculas marcadas

If it were not so, if we were organisms so sensitive that a single atom, or even a few atoms, could make a perceptible impression on our senses - Heavens, what would life be like!