Physicists at the University of Chicago are researching a new fluid state essentially created by dropping a marble into loosely packed sand. This produces a jet of sand grains that briefly behaves like a special type of dense fluid. Perhaps the craziest part is you can duplicate the experiment at home. (Read the full story).

Novel states of matter are sometimes created in super-cold conditions approaching absolute zero. Things get weird there. But this experiment can be done at room temperature:

Pour a cup of powdered sugar into another container to ensure it is loosely packed… Drop a marble into the cup. “Once you drop that marble in there, you see that jet emerging, but you have to look fast.”

View the full size close-up photograph of the jet.

Image credit: Heinrich Jaeger, University of Chicago