The einstein problem: Molecular chirality leads to unexpected aperiodic patterns on metal surfaces

Standing at the intersection between mathematics and the tiler's trade is the so-called einstein problem. Despite its name, this mathematical question has nothing to do with the Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein. It asks: Can you seamlessly tile an endless surface with a single shape (an "einstein") in such a way that the resulting pattern is never repeated? Such a "proto-tile" was first discovered in 2022 by the English amateur mathematician David Smith.