A diagram showing how electrons flow in a standard metal (gold) on the left, and how they create electron whirlpools in a quantum material (tungsten ditelluride), right ...

In a paper appearing in Nature Physics, the researchers show that when a tissue is pressed or squeezed, it is more compliant and relaxes more quickly when the fluid between its cells flows easily.

We classify the fluid dynamics into frictional and viscous regimes, and present a unified description of emerging morphologies in granular mixtures in the form of extended phase diagrams.