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Health & Science2h 35m ago

Scientists discovered that packed rice grains behave in an unusual way under pressure: they weaken under rapid compression but remain relatively strong when squeezed slowly.

University of Birmingham

Who
international research team, led by the University of Birmingham; Dr. Mingchao Liu
What
Scientists discovered that packed rice grains behave in an unusual way under pressure: they weaken under rapid compression but remain relatively strong when squeezed slowly.
When
Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:31:39 GMT · 2h 35m ago
Where
University of Birmingham ·
Why
This surprising behavior, known as "rate softening," occurs because friction between individual rice grains drops sharply when forces are applied rapidly, weakening the internal force networks.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

This discovery led to the creation of a new metamaterial that can automatically adjust its stiffness without electronics, offering potential advancements for safer soft robots and protective equipment that responds instantly to collisions, providing flexible solutions for various real-world applications.

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