Francesco De Angelis

Atoms in a crystal usually sit in their designated spots, like passengers on a plane with assigned seats. But in this material, copper and tantalum have taken their places randomly, as if the tickets got mixed up. Scientists peered into the crystal using X-rays and saw that the disorder is not just on paper but in the actual arrangement of atoms.

A chef tastes a sauce and knows: it needs a pinch of salt. But toss that same pinch into a lake, and no one will notice the difference.