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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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This Material Can “Remember” Information (Like A Computer) Just by Being Spun

A simple slap bracelet looks like a toy. You tap it, and it instantly curls around your wrist. Tap it again, and it becomes straight. This quick “snap” feels fun, but behind it is a serious scientific principle that is now inspiring cutting-edge research in robotics and smart materials.

Scientists have discovered that this same snapping behavior is closely related to something called bistability—a property where a structure can exist in two stable states. Even more exciting, researchers are now using this idea to store and process information inside physical materials themselves, without electronics.

This new approach could change how we build robots, medical devices, and even future computing systems.

What Makes a Structure “Bistable”?

A bistable structure is one that can rest in two different stable shapes without needing constant energy to hold either state.

Think of it like a light switch:

  • Up = ON (state 1)

  • Down = OFF (state 0)

Similarly, bistable materials can switch between:

  • A straight shape (0)

  • A curled or flipped shape (1)

This simple concept becomes powerful when we use it to store information physically. Instead of using silicon chips and electronic bits, we can use mechanical bits (also called m-bits).

These m-bits can remember information just by their shape.

The Big Challenge: Programming Materials

For years, scientists have been developing programmable metamaterials—special engineered materials that can change their shape or behavior when needed.

These materials are important for:

  • Soft robotics

  • Adaptive structures

  • Smart medical devices

  • Mechanical computing systems

But there has been a major problem.

To “program” these materials, researchers usually had to control each mechanical bit one by one. Imagine trying to set hundreds of tiny switches manually. It is slow, complex, and not practical for real-world use.

So the big question was:
Can we control many mechanical bits at once in a simpler way?

A Surprising Solution: Just Spin It

A breakthrough came from researchers working at the Flexible Structures Laboratory (fleXLab) in École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), along with scientists from AMOLF and Leiden University.

Their idea was surprisingly simple: rotation.

Instead of controlling each bit individually, they placed the material system on a spinning platform. By carefully changing how fast it spins, the direction, and even acceleration, they could trigger forces inside the material.

These forces include:

  • Centrifugal force (pushing outward)

  • Euler force (caused by changes in rotation)

When applied correctly, these forces make elastic beams inside the material suddenly “snap” between their two stable states.

This method allows scientists to control many bits at once, simply by changing the spinning motion.

They call this approach dynamic driving.

How “Dynamic Driving” Works

In simple terms, dynamic driving means using motion to control memory.

Instead of pressing individual switches, researchers:

  1. Place a metamaterial with multiple bistable beams on a rotating platform

  2. Adjust spin speed and direction

  3. Let physical forces trigger snapping behavior

Each beam is designed to “snap” only under certain conditions. Some respond early, some later.

This means the system can be programmed globally—like writing data across many bits at the same time.

As Pedro Reis, head of fleXLab at EPFL, explains, this method allows researchers to “set the memory of a mechanical system using rotation.”

In other words, motion becomes the programming tool.

Writing Letters Using Mechanical Bits

To demonstrate this idea, the researchers did something very creative.

They used five small silicone beams mounted on a spinning platform and used them to “write” all 26 letters of the alphabet.

Here is how they did it:

  1. Each letter was converted into a 5-digit binary code (0s and 1s) using ASCII encoding.

  2. Each beam was designed to represent one bit.

  3. Depending on rotation conditions, each beam would either:

    • Stay in place (0)

    • Snap to the opposite side (1)

As the platform rotated, the beams automatically snapped into different patterns.

At the end of the process, the final shape of the five beams represented a letter.

By reading the beam positions, researchers could decode the message.

In simple terms:
They “spelled” words using mechanical motion.

Why This Is a Big Deal

This discovery is important because it shows a new way to control machines without electronics.

Traditionally, computers and robots depend on:

  • Wires

  • Chips

  • Sensors

  • Software

But this research shows that physical materials themselves can store and process information.

That means future systems could:

  • Work without complex electronics

  • Be more energy-efficient

  • Be simpler and more durable

  • Function in extreme environments where electronics fail

As Eduardo Gutierrez-Prieto, a co-researcher, explains, modern motor technology has only recently become precise enough to make this possible.

Real-World Applications

This idea is not just for laboratory experiments. It could be used in many practical fields.

1. Medical Devices

In tiny diagnostic tools, spinning motion could control valves that guide fluids automatically. This could help create faster and more efficient medical tests.

2. Soft Robotics

Soft robots could move using pressure in tubes instead of electronics. Their joints could snap into different positions based on physical inputs like air or water pressure.

3. Smart Infrastructure

Buildings or bridges could include materials that adapt their shape depending on environmental forces.

4. Underwater Systems

Robots working deep in the ocean could function without delicate electronic parts, making them more reliable.

Towards Physical Intelligence

The most exciting idea behind this research is something scientists call physical intelligence.

Instead of relying only on software and digital code, future systems could:

  • Think using structure

  • Remember using shape

  • Compute using motion

Martin van Hecke from AMOLF explains that this approach could lead to smart devices that are controlled remotely and work efficiently in many environments.

A Future Where Materials “Think”

This research changes how we think about machines.

Instead of asking:

“How do we program a robot?”

We may soon ask:

“How do we design materials that already know how to behave?”

A simple spinning motion can now write memory into physical structures. A beam of silicone can act like a digital switch. And a rotating platform can become a writing tool.

It all started with something as simple as a slap bracelet snapping into shape.

But it may lead to a future where materials themselves become intelligent, adaptive, and programmable.

Final Thought

Science often moves forward by finding simple ideas hidden inside everyday objects. In this case, a childhood toy helped inspire a breakthrough in material science.

From slap bracelets to smart metamaterials, the journey shows one powerful truth:

Sometimes, intelligence doesn’t need to be built from electronics—it can be built from shape, motion, and physics itself.

Reference: Eduardo Gutierrez-Prieto et al, Dynamic drives allow independent control of material bits for targeted memory, Science Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aec1606

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