Oct 20, 2025 11:09 PM
(This post was last modified: Oct 20, 2025 11:11 PM by Magical Realist.)
https://astrophilia-blog.medium.com/they...6d3a297799
"Okay, this one honestly blew my mind.
We all know light, right? It’s fast, it doesn’t weigh anything, and you can’t really “touch” it. But now, for the first time ever, scientists have made light behave like both a solid and a liquid, at the same time and they didn’t even have to freeze it.
Yeah. They pulled this off at room temperature.
So, What’s a Supersolid?
Imagine something that flows like a perfect liquid no resistance, no friction — but also holds a stable, repeating structure like a solid. Sounds impossible, right? That’s a supersolid. It’s a weird quantum state where matter does both things at once. Until now, supersolids only existed in labs at ultra-low temperatures colder than space. You’d need crazy equipment just to get close.
But This Time… They Used Light
Here’s where it gets unreal.
Instead of super-chilling atoms, they trapped light inside a semiconductor made of gallium arsenide stuff already used in solar panels and lasers. They etched it to create tiny ridges, basically building a kind of maze that keeps photons from escaping.
Then they hit it with a laser. The light didn’t just bounce around — it actually merged with the material, forming these strange half-light, half-matter particles called polaritons.
When they adjusted the energy just right, those polaritons started lining up into repeating patterns — and flowing at the same time. That’s a supersolid. And it was made from light. At room temp. Wild.
Why This Actually Matters?
This isn’t just some lab trick. Supersolids could be a huge deal for quantum computing, because they’re stable and flexible perfect for holding quantum bits without breaking them. This kind of breakthrough could make future tech more powerful, efficient, and maybe even cheaper.
The Bottom Line
They made light act like a solid and a liquid at once. Without freezing it. Just let that sit for a second.
It’s weird. It’s beautiful. And it’s one of those moments where science quietly cracks open a door to the future."
"Okay, this one honestly blew my mind.
We all know light, right? It’s fast, it doesn’t weigh anything, and you can’t really “touch” it. But now, for the first time ever, scientists have made light behave like both a solid and a liquid, at the same time and they didn’t even have to freeze it.
Yeah. They pulled this off at room temperature.
So, What’s a Supersolid?
Imagine something that flows like a perfect liquid no resistance, no friction — but also holds a stable, repeating structure like a solid. Sounds impossible, right? That’s a supersolid. It’s a weird quantum state where matter does both things at once. Until now, supersolids only existed in labs at ultra-low temperatures colder than space. You’d need crazy equipment just to get close.
But This Time… They Used Light
Here’s where it gets unreal.
Instead of super-chilling atoms, they trapped light inside a semiconductor made of gallium arsenide stuff already used in solar panels and lasers. They etched it to create tiny ridges, basically building a kind of maze that keeps photons from escaping.
Then they hit it with a laser. The light didn’t just bounce around — it actually merged with the material, forming these strange half-light, half-matter particles called polaritons.
When they adjusted the energy just right, those polaritons started lining up into repeating patterns — and flowing at the same time. That’s a supersolid. And it was made from light. At room temp. Wild.
Why This Actually Matters?
This isn’t just some lab trick. Supersolids could be a huge deal for quantum computing, because they’re stable and flexible perfect for holding quantum bits without breaking them. This kind of breakthrough could make future tech more powerful, efficient, and maybe even cheaper.
The Bottom Line
They made light act like a solid and a liquid at once. Without freezing it. Just let that sit for a second.
It’s weird. It’s beautiful. And it’s one of those moments where science quietly cracks open a door to the future."