The cosmos holds countless mysteries, but perhaps none as elusive as the enigma of dark matter. For nearly a century, we've chased its shadow, piecing together clues from the dance of galaxies to the warping of spacetime. Yet, what if the key to unlocking this cosmic conundrum lies in a hidden origin story, one that challenges our very understanding of the universe's birth?
Have you ever seen something so delicate yet incredibly resilient? If you haven't, let me introduce you to the fascinating world of Prince Rupert's Drops. These unique glass structures are created by dripping molten glass into water, resulting in a drop with an extremely high compressive stress on the outside and a tensile stress on the inside. The result? A glass structure that can withstand a hammer or even a bullet to its tip without breaking, but shatters dramatically if the tail is even slightly nicked.