‘There are an infinite number of them’

Researchers from the University of Bristol and Cardiff University have created the world’s most difficult maze, Interesting Engineering reported. Rather than using it for normal maze purposes, such as imprisoning a minotaur or decorating cereal boxes, they are planning to use it for things like capturing carbon and producing synthetic fertilizer more efficiently.

The very tricky maze was reportedly inspired by the movements of the knight on a chessboard. Widely known as the sneakiest and most vexing chess piece, the knight moves two squares in one direction and one square to the side — similar to something called a “Hamiltonian cycle.”

As if chess weren’t already confusing enough, the researchers took this concept and applied it to a maze.

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“When we looked at the shapes of the lines we constructed, we noticed they formed incredibly intricate mazes,” Dr. Felix Flicker, senior lecturer in physics at the University of Bristol and the lead author on the study, said. “The sizes of subsequent mazes grow exponentially — and there are an infinite number of them.”

The application of these infinitely growing mazes is that they could be used to form quasicrystals, a complex form of solids that are still not fully understood by science, as Science Direct explained. Interesting Engineering described them as “slices through crystals that live in six dimensions, as opposed to the three of our familiar universe.” 

Quasicrystals are good at adsorption (once more explained by Science Direct). Adsorption is important in processes involved with carbon capture and manufacturing synthetic fertilizers. (Of course, synthetic fertilizers also come with a ton of downsides, per the Union of Concerned Scientists — such as contaminating nearby water sources with nutrient-rich runoff that causes algae blooms and kills local wildlife. But as long as they’re being produced anyway, an efficient production method is still better.)

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“Our work also shows quasicrystals may be better than crystals for some adsorption applications,” Shobhna Singh, a Ph.D. researcher in physics at Cardiff University and co-author of the study, told Interesting Engineering.

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