Using a new method of observing microscopic changes in a material’s behavior, scientists have spotted very cool properties in a water-methanol compound called methanol monohydrate. These crystals get smaller when warmed, but when you apply pressure to them (i.e., poke them), they expand outwards. This material is thought to be a major component of the icy moons of our solar system. Get ready for methanol monohydrate mines on the moons of Saturn.
