A closer look
The Myllysilta Bridge in Finland didn’t collapse from a massive explosion or an earthquake; it started aggressively sagging because of the universe’s smallest element. Investigators found that hydrogen atoms had infiltrated the high-strength steel tendons holding the concrete together. This insidious process, known as hydrogen embrittlement, occurs when atomic hydrogen sneaks into the crystal lattice of the metal, fundamentally wrecking its ductility. The massive steel supports became as brittle as dry pasta, proving that a multi-million-dollar infrastructure project can be utterly ruined by invisible atomic termites.
