For the hottest thing in condensed-matter physics, check out the local liquor store. Hidden inside a device for chilling wine is the unusual compound called bismuth telluride.
For physicists, bismuth telluride does more than keep champagne frosty. Under the right laboratory conditions, this crystal can start behaving in weird and wonderful ways. Over the past couple of years, researchers have made several toast-worthy new discoveries involving bismuth telluride and other related materials, known as topological insulators.