Liquid helium at ultra-low temperatures enters a state of superfluidity: it flows without friction, like a perfect lubricant. In this quantum fluid, vortices are born, superficially resembling ordinary whirlpools in water, but with a fundamental difference: their angular momentum, or rotational strength, is quantized. This means rotation changes not smoothly but in strict discrete steps — much like an old record player can spin a vinyl only at 33, 45, or 78 revolutions per minute, and nothing in between. This law of vortex quantization in superfluid helium was discovered by Lev Landau and was long considered unshakeable.

However, an experiment in which scientists used microscopic spy dust particles thrown into helium revealed something unexpected. Some particles began to spin at a furious rate, as if a record suddenly played at all possible speeds at once. According to theory, such a "clump" of rotation should almost instantly disintegrate, just as a vinyl record would not withstand a nonexistent speed. But the particle held fast inside the vortex, and the vortex itself lived suspiciously long, defying conventional wisdom.

The discovery shakes up the science of vortices in frictionless fluids and promises to shed light on the behavior of other similar media — from the depths of neutron stars to atomic nuclei, where quantized vortices may also exist.