Science Literacy Week 2014

The International Year of Crystallography 2014 (IYCr2014), as resolved by the United Nations, commemorates not only the centennial of X-ray diffraction, which allowed the detailed study of crystalline material, but also the 400th anniversary of Kepler’s observation in 1611 of the symmetrical form of ice crystals, which began the wider study of the role of symmetry in matter.

Among the activities planned by the United Nations are:

* Organizing travelling hands-on exhibitions

* Launching an open-access crystallography journal

* Providing all levels of students, from pre-school to university, with crystallography demonstrations at appropriate levels

* Publicizing the contributions that crystallographers make to the global economy by submitting articles to the press and to magazines or developing television and radio programmes

* Sponsoring poster exhibitions highlighting the usefulness and wonders of crystallography

* Organizing problem-solving projects through which students can use their knowledge of crystallography, physics and chemistry

* Publicizing the contributions that crystallography has made to improve lives, particularly recent developments in drug design and material science

* Organizing crystal-growing competitions

* Interacting with governments to underscore the importance of a strong crystallographic education

* Organizing consultations concerning the best ways to save all diffraction data collected in large-scale facilities and crystallography laboratories

For more detailed information about the events surrounding the International Year of Crystallography please visit: 2014 International Year of Crystallography.

Noranda Earth Sciences Library

Just 100 years ago, it was discovered that X-ray diffraction could show the atomic structure of crystalline materials. These discoveries led to enormous advances in physics, chemistry, biology and medicine, many of which were rewarded by Nobel Prizes. The celebration of these advances in this International Year of Crystallography 2014 inspire us all to imagine what might yet be discovered...

X-ray crystallography is arguably one of the greatest innovations of the twentieth century, but not that many people know what it is or how it came about. Join us on an animated journey through the 100 year history of crystallography -- from the pioneering work of William and Lawrence Bragg in 1913 to the surface of Mars! Narrated by structural biologist Stephen Curry and produced by animation company 12foot6, the film explores the extraordinary history of crystallography. To date 28 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to projects related to the field and X-ray crystallography remains the foremost technique in determining the structures of a huge range of complex molecules. This film was produced in celebration of the Bragg Centenary and was funded by STFC.

Two of the selected crystallography titles on display at the Earth Sciences Library.

UTSC has recently completed a digitization project of the Atlas der Krystallformen from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library: