AI Summary

Researchers used three‑dimensional atomic imaging to observe how ordered nuclei form within disordered material, challenging the long‑standing classical nucleation theory that has guided understanding of condensation, freezing and other phase transitions for about a century. The imaging revealed a previously unseen pathway for crystal formation, suggesting that the established equation describing nucleation may not capture all mechanisms. This new evidence could prompt reevaluation of how initial seeds develop in phase‑change processes.

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