The main reason for those reactions from his scientific peers was, according to Dan Shechtman, that crystallography was a well-defined subject where not much had happened in 70 years.

“From 1912 to 1982 all observed crystals were ordered and periodic. That became the definition, people thought of crystallography as a mature science with nothing new left to happen. People just sorted new crystals into different drawers – but mine did not fit into any,” Dan Shechtman explains.

He adds that the new definition of a crystal is very modest and is open for the possibility of new discoveries. “The science of crystallography is very tough. To achieve this soft definition is quite an achievement,” he says, acknowledging his contribution to the re-definition with a happy smile. 

Continued to believe in himself 

So why did nobody see these structures before him?

“A good electron microscope is the first requirement in order to see quasicrystals. The second important parameter is knowing what you are doing and the third is believing what you are seeing,” summarizes Dan Shechtman.

Other people have indeed seen quasicrystals but could not sort them into one of the existing drawers and discarded them. Dan Shechtman on the other hand believed in what he saw and even when his discovery was questioned he continued to believe.

“I am the worst critic of my own science. I checked it over and over again and knew I was right,” he says.

He also adds that the criticism he got was not that bad. “All in all it was an unpleasant one and a half year period but then I managed to publish my results and got an enormous response from other scientists who started to remember those structures that they could not fit into one of the given drawers earlier,” he says.

One critic however remained, Linus Pauling, twice recipient of the Nobel Prize. “He is the one behind the famous quote that there is no such thing as quasicrystals, only quasiscientists. At the beginning our fight was unpleasant but after a while I started to like it. It was Danny Shechtman against Linus Pauling, fighting another, up here,” he says and lifts his hands to form a line above his head. 

A few intersections in life are crucial 

Dan Shechtman got interested in research when he was ten years old. “I read the novel ‘The Mystery Island’ by Jules Verne. The characters in the book are stranded on an island and through the brains of one person they create civilization. I got very influenced by that book and decided to become an engineer,” he says.

When he finished his degree in medical engineering in 1966 at the Technion University in Israel there were no jobs because of the recession.

As I see it there are only a few intersections in life where you really make a choice.

“So I did my Masters and fell in love with science. I did find a job after my Masters but called the evening before I was sup – posed to start and told them that I just had to go for my PhD,” he says. This was, according to himself, one of the crucial decisions of his life. “As I see it there are only a few intersections in life where you really make a choice. Once you have made a decision you follow a straight line with intrinsic ups and downs – the road does not have to be paved but it is there,” he says and emphasizes that out of hundred applications for a postdoc he got two offers. “But that did not matter, I got the offer I wanted, didn’t I?” 

High expectations 

Apart from having high expectations of himself he demands the same from his students and his children.

“When my children were young I told them that their basic education starts in primary school and finishes with a university degree, preferably with a PhD,” he explains, adding that one out of his four children has obtained a PhD so far, two more are on their way and that he has high hopes for the fourth one. “A good education and a good understanding of the world are the most important things in life,” he adds.

Find a good problem and challenge it.

He encourages his students and young scientists in general to adopt risky projects with a high potential.

“Find a good problem and challenge it. When you get unexpected results you should ask yourself whether you are an expert and check your results over and over again. Be open for criticism, listen to what other people have to say but stand tall and be true to yourself.”

Dan Shechtman

Born 1941 in Tel Aviv, Israel 

PhD 1972 from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel 

Distinguished Professor, The Philip Tobias Chair, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel 

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2011 was awarded to Dan Shechtman for his discovery of quasicrystals. He was the first scientist to describe crystals with a five-fold symmetry, something that was thought to be impossible