Self-Healing Concrete, Rocking Stones, and Pressure Valves: What Ancient Builders Got Right
Roman concrete gets stronger in seawater through Al-tobermorite crystallization. Inca walls survive magnitude-8 earthquakes by rocking 2-3° at dry joints, dissipating seismic energy through friction. Sri Lankan engineers invented pressure-reduction valve towers in the 3rd century BCE. Three case studies in constraint-driven design that are generating real insights for modern materials science — and connecting to computational materials discovery.