Noise Helps Quantum Computers
To quickly dissolve sugar, you don't need to stir carefully — just shake the glass. A similar principle works in quantum systems: noise, usually considered a disturbance, speeds up the transition to a thermal state.
Pressure Awakens Superconductivity in a Thermoelectric Material
A piece of silver antimony telluride is like a sponge: it readily soaks up heat and turns it into electricity. Such materials are called thermoelectrics, and they already work in space probes and car refrigerators. But if you squeeze this sponge, it starts behaving like a superconductor — current flows with zero resistance.