Scientists have found a very rare mineral, which they call a dodecagonal quasicrystal, which probably formed when lightning struck near a fallen power line in a sandy region of the United States. The discovery is surprising, because until now experts doubted that such structures could form on Earth in natural conditions.

Quasicrystals are made of atoms arranged in an ordered fashion, but without the periodic repetition of a simple geometric form that is found in normal crystals. They only form in extreme temperature and pressure conditions. Because of their structure, they have magnetic and electric properties that are not found in either crystals or amorphous solids and could prove useful for many applications.

A rock discovered in Nebraska proves that a strong electrical discharge can form these exotic materials that are rarely seen in nature.