The research sheds new light on how the early universe behaved under extreme heat and density. Earlier attempts at temperature measurements were often uncertain, influenced by factors such as whether they reflected the QGP phase itself or were skewed by Doppler-like effects caused by the plasma’s rapid motion

Metamaterials are engineered structures that gain their properties from geometry rather than chemistry. The Rice team designed a material that remains stable while also deforming on command, a combination not previously seen in soft structures