The man who first asked the important questions, over a half century ago, was Japanese chemistry professor Eiji Ōsawa. Degreed in engineering, fixated on chemical structure. He hypothesized a molecule in the form of an icosahedral cage comprising sixty carbon atoms — the C60.

“Icosahedron” you likely remember from elementary geometry. It’s a closed figure with at least 20 faces, and its’ the shape you’re seeing throughout this site. In The Science you’ll read more about what makes the cage part the crucial one.

But while professor Ōsawa’s search was as surefooted as it was far-reaching, he lacked the technological tools to prove just how far he could see into the future.