Scientists in Germany and Norway have filmed tiny magnetic shapes called skyrmions as they break apart. Skyrmions are very small areas inside some materials where the magnetism spins around, like a whirlpool. These shapes could help make future computers smaller and use less electricity, because each skyrmion can hold digital information like a bit in traditional computers.

The scientists wanted to learn how skyrmions move and change. This is important because, if the skyrmion shapes break apart suddenly, information could be lost. In their study, they used special tools to watch a group of skyrmions collapse out of their neat pattern, which is called a lattice. The team also changed the size and shape of single skyrmions to see what happened.

Because of this filming, experts now understand skyrmions better. This makes it more likely that one day, engineers will use these magnetic swirls to build new types of computers. These devices could be smaller and need much less electricity than today’s computers, but this technology is still at an early stage.