# The Snowflake Crystals versus The Popcorn

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-snowflake-crystals-versus-the-popcorn/424430>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 29, 2007, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-snowflake-crystals-versus-the-popcorn/424430 "2007-10-29T10:35:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![helloeck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@helloeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/helloeck)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-snowflake-crystals-versus-the-popcorn/424430/1 "2007-10-29T10:35:50Z")

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Which is more true? The fact that no two snowflakes are alike OR no two popped corns are alike.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-snowflake-crystals-versus-the-popcorn/424430/2 "2007-10-29T11:33:49Z")

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More true? What does that even mean?

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-snowflake-crystals-versus-the-popcorn/424430/3 "2007-10-29T11:57:45Z")

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I don’t know if there’s a serious answer to this question, but how exactly are you defining “alike”? Structurally identical? Identical down to the placement of each atom?

Structurally identical snowflakes have been found and documented. I don’t know how much popcorn research has been done, though. Maybe you should grab a few million bags of Orville Redenbacher and see what you can discover. You might end up famous.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-snowflake-crystals-versus-the-popcorn/424430/4 "2007-10-29T13:07:23Z")

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I imagine saying “more nearly true” or “closer to true,” along with replacing “fact” by “assertion,” would more accurately state the question.

This is the first that I’ve heard the claim about popcorn, which leads me to doubt that much if any research has been done there. Considering the time, trouble, and difficulty of making the necessary observations in conjunction with the subject’s level of importance, I wouldn’t hold my breath for any definitive answer.

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**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-snowflake-crystals-versus-the-popcorn/424430/5 "2007-10-29T13:15:01Z")

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… I’ve just submitted my grant application…