Tabletop setup (IMAGE)
Caption
Two 3D-printed pentagons made of zig-zag springs and tiny magnets rest in their two stable shapes. Left, the “healthy” form; at right, the misfolded “prion” form that can latch onto a neighbor and trigger the same shape-shift, just like the proteins that cause mad cow disease.
Credit
Mathieu Ouellet
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License
Original content