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https://news.sky.com/story/scientists-di...e-11688492

 Scientists have discovered a new state of matter that allows atoms to exist as both solid and liquid at the same time.

It was previously thought there were three states of matter: liquid, solid or gas.

Experts were unsure whether the new state - known as a "chain-melted state" - was its own distinct state of matter or simply atoms transitioning between two stages - whether solid, liquid or gas.

But powerful computer simulations and high-pressure and high-temperature tests carried out on metal potassium have now proven the former to be true.

Several other elements, including sodium, are also capable of existing in this new state, according to experts from the University of Edinburgh.



Freaky :O . I have heard of states of matter other than the usual three (for example, Bose-Einstein condensates), but those only occur under very extreme conditions.

Still, since it took so long to discover this one, I expect it'll be difficult to re-create and maintain, which I imagine will limit its applicability...
(04-09-2019, 08:19 PM)Kyng Wrote: [ -> ]Freaky :O . I have heard of states of matter other than the usual three (for example, Bose-Einstein condensates), but those only occur under very extreme conditions.

Still, since it took so long to discover this one, I expect it'll be difficult to re-create and maintain, which I imagine will limit its applicability...

You forgot the more common one, Plasma which is found in Lightning and Neon Lights.
(04-09-2019, 08:29 PM)Lurker101 Wrote: [ -> ]
(04-09-2019, 08:19 PM)Kyng Wrote: [ -> ]Freaky :O . I have heard of states of matter other than the usual three (for example, Bose-Einstein condensates), but those only occur under very extreme conditions.

Still, since it took so long to discover this one, I expect it'll be difficult to re-create and maintain, which I imagine will limit its applicability...

You forgot the more common one, Plasma which is found in Lightning and Neon Lights. 

Nah, I just thought plasma was too 'normal' :P . I was surprise the article didn't mention it with solid, liquid and gas as the 'four usual states of matter', to be honest!
im sure there are other states of matter we have yet to discover even, now that we know of this we might actually find other examples perhaps naturally.
Makes sense to me. States of matter boil down (sorry for the pun) to the strength of interaction between the particles. From a simplistic standpoint, perhaps there's an intermediate state along the energy surface with a small local minimum, as seems the case here?

Even outside solid / liquid / gas, we've already got plasmas, supercritical fluids and other such concoctions which harsh conditions might enable. Even the diamond phase diagram is pretty complex when you massively vary temperature and pressure (speaking of which, I should really go and update my diamond thread!! :P ).
*insert a scared gif here*


WOW... that is so cool. 

But also kinda scary at the same time. 0.0
Sorry science, I've already long ago cracked the code of the only state of matter that is both solid and a liquid.