Two years later, he finally published his findings, yet the skepticism remained - and it remained bitter, as the AFP explains it. The famous American chemist Linus Pauling once declared at a conference: "Danny Shechtman is talking nonsense. There is no such thing as quasicrystals, only quasi-scientists," AFP recalls.

But scientists did start to come around. In April 1985, Popular Science covered research by physicists at the University of Pennsylvania who found an icosahedron solid - a solid with 20 triangular faces, 12 vertices and 30 edges, something not found in a crystal.

Then in 1987, scientists in France and Japan were able to repeat the work on a larger scale, allowing the crystals to be examined with x-rays. In the decades since, quasicrystals have mushroomed into a major research field.

The aperiodic atomic arrangement follows a regular pattern, but they never repeat themselves. These bizarre shapes are found in Islamic art, including at the Alhambra Palace in Spain and the Darb-i Imam Shrine in Iran, the Nobel Assembly notes. The art has helped scientists better understand what quasicrystals look like.

The structures are being studied as possible material for everything from body armor to frying pans, the Nobel Assembly said.

At a press conference afterward, Shechtman said it was a great day for him, and for science. It must be nice to have everyone agree this time.