This Bendable Ice Is Freaking Us Out

New research from China shows that thin, carefully crafted strands of ice can take on surprisingly elastic properties.

As a medium, ice is very unforgiving. It melts at temperatures above freezing (obviously) and snaps instead of bending when under strain. Defects like microcracks, surface imperfections, and pores—which form during the freezing process—give ice its brittle, stubborn quality.