I just learned that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2011 was awarded to Dan Shechtman “for the discovery of quasicrystals”!
The Nobel site has a good explanation of the background. I should also point out that I did a lovely blog post on the subject a couple of years ago.
The author of Skulls in the Stars is a professor of physics, specializing in optical science, at UNC Charlotte. The blog covers topics in physics and optics, the history of science, classic pulp fantasy and horror fiction, and the surprising intersections between these areas. 
Skulls in the Stars 