Gyroscopes lead scientists to unusual state of matter in a disorganized structure

(University of Chicago) You don't have to be perfectly organized to pull off a wave, according to University of Chicago scientists. Using a set of gyroscopes linked together, physicists explored the behavior of a material whose structure is arranged randomly, instead of an orderly lattice. They found they could set off one-way ripples around the edges, much like spectators in a sports arena -- a 'topological wave,' characteristic of a particularly unusual state of matter.