In a win for science nerds around the world, a Kingsborough Community College professor has discovered a new mineral, called krotite, that "may help to uncover the mysteries of the universe." Whoa!
Connolly, who has taught at the Coney Island school for ten years, was studying a meteorite with an intern when they realized that it contained a small chunk, resembling a cracked egg, with a different chemical composition than the rest of the rock. The two tested the chunk for months to determine what it was and where in the Milky Way it came from, ultimately concluding that it's an entirely new mineral, never before seen my humankind! Apparently krotike formed in our solar system a whopping four and a half billion years ago, so it likely knows all the secrets about how our planets were formed (and maybe about this, too!).
Connolly is still working to discover whether the mineral will have any practical uses (a la lead or copper), and until then, we will continue speculating about the potentially supercharged powers the little rock might contain. Dig deep into the world of science by perusing his findings in the "esteemed rock journal" American Mineralogist.
