For more than two centuries, scientists tried and failed to grow dolomite in the lab under conditions thought to match how it forms in nature. A recent study has finally changed that. Researchers from the University of Michigan and Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan succeeded by developing a new theory based on detailed atomic simulations. Their work solves a long-standing geological puzzle known as the "Dolomite Problem." Dolomite is a widespread mineral found in iconic locations such as the Dolomite mountains in Italy, Niagara Falls and Utah's Hoodoos. It is abundant in rocks older than 100 million years, yet it is rarely seen forming in more recent environments. "If we understand how dolomite grows in nature, we might learn new strategies to promote the crystal growth of modern technological materials," said Wenhao Sun, the Dow Early Career Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at U-M and the corresponding author of the paper published in Science.…