The most beautiful molecule : the discovery of the buckyball

The discovery of buckminsterfullerine, a previously unknown form of carbon, surprised the scientific community as much for the discovery as for the manner in which it came about.

Here was a new, almost perfect carbon form with potential applications, discovered almost as a side project.

This text recounts the events leading up to the discovery of the "buckyball" and explores the many new doors this scientific breakthrough may open.