“THE SURFACE was invented by the devil,” said the Austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli, and most people who study surfaces would agree. Surfaces and the way they behave invade all aspects of our everyday life. It is at the surface of objects that rust and other types of corrosion form, causing millions of pounds worth of damage each year. The surfaces of clouds in the Antarctic play a key role in forming the ozone hole by releasing active chlorine, which depletes the atmosphere of ozone once sunlight reappears in the spring.
On the other hand, many surfaces have useful properties. Some,…
