How do crystals work? - Graham Baird

What makes crystals grow into their signature shapes? Dig into the atomic patterns and unique properties of crystals.

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Many crystals have signature shapes— like the cascade of pointed quartz or a pile of galena cubes. Every crystal’s atoms have a defining feature: their organized, repeating pattern. The pattern isn't restricted to minerals- sand, ice, metals and DNA also have crystalline structures. So what causes them to grow into these shapes again and again? Graham Baird dives into the unique properties of crystals.

Lesson by Graham Baird, directed by Franz Palomares.

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[kirbymarchbarcena]

The explanation in this video is totally crystal clear.

[CaressaBrowArtistry]

I thought this video was going to talk about the properties of crystals on a spiritual level

[mohammediliyas]

The best voice is again back. By the way animations are amazing.

[theodoresanchez]

Thank you, TedEd! As a Geology student who almost failed his Mineralogy lecture, this video is far more understandable than my 80-year-old, 500-page thick secondhand Mineralogy textbook.

[GraceEunity]

the "these properties may not have any bearing on human emotional needs" seemed like shade. i have a b.s. in geology and didn't think crystals had any healing properties until i had my own experiences after i earned my degree. keep an open mind :) just because a phenomenon can't be explained with science doesn't mean it's not real and happening. sometimes it just means our human brains aren't able to understand and explain it using the science we currently know. yet ;)

[chroma]

I'm gonna fail my Calculus III exam tomorrow but hey, I understand crystals.

Edit: why tf are there so many likes, the exam was ok.

[charm]

This video should be called "How do crystals form" not how do they work

[TheGreatCooLite]

I thought quartz was only found in the nether

[nishthagupta]

One of the rarest voices that teaches you at a slow pace so you can understand what's actually going on. I could keep up with every element that you mentioned. Thanks Graham & Franz! 💙

[waynedombrowski]

I'm a mineral collector, mainly those that fluoresce under ultraviolet. Crystals are utterly fascinating in that you are essentially looking at their atomic structure blown up to a visible scale. The physics of fluorescence just renders them utterly, endlessly fascinating to me.

[samuelkunzler]

Thanks Ted-Ed for giving me my weekly learning fix

[jademirror]

There are some young, hot igneous rocks in a hot-spot near you!

[marijaruzic]

I'm mineralogiest and finally I can show people right animation when I'm explaining how this works! Thanks!

[Katia_Managan]

Me, at a rock show: “We’ve been over this. My wallet’s light this month. I can’t afford any more-“

My crow brain: “JuSt TaKe! ThE sHiNiEs! MoRe! TaKe sHiNiEs!”

[justarandomperson]

“How do crystals work”
At this day and age even crystals are better than me at finding a job 😔

[PuzzlesExplained]

Wow, really nice 3D animation on this one. Super educational video.

[James-ogcx]

Crystals such as quartz are piezoelectric, which means they actually do have 'energy' and can produce it when struck.

[KaritKtana]

I love that the title of the video trolls all the spiritual folk, and switches it up with scientific knowledge.
Thank you, TED ED!

[williamquattrocchi]

When I was a young teenager about fourteen years old this was in 1966 (I am 67 now) I saw a piece of quartz crystal in a local gem store. I wanted it so much that my chest ached when I looked at it through the store window. I saved up my allowance until I had enough money to purchase it. I really loved that Crystal and kept it all these years. I collected other stones over the years but that original one was always the centerpiece of my collection. I had a room in the basement where I had an altar where I kept all my stones. Well, my wife at one point decided that she was going to clean out our basement, I and hurt to say this but she threw away all my stones including the original crystal I had purchased as a young boy. (She's not a bad person just an organization and clean freak, sometimes she goes into cleaning frenzies and throws away anything in her path. My mother was like that also and threw away all my 1960 baseball cards while I was serving in the military). Anyway, I would like to know why I still yearn for that particular piece of quartz crystal I actually feel a pain in my heart when I think of it. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thank you Vito.

[zuko]

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