"Physicists Create Counting Rubber: A Metamaterial Breakthrough"

Physicists at Leiden University have created a block of rubber that can count simply by being carved into a ceiling, floor, and pairs of beams. The rubber block, called a "beam counter," can record the number of times it has been pushed by bending its beams in a specific sequence. This simple yet impressive feat demonstrates that inanimate objects can perform mathematical tasks without sophisticated circuit boards. The researchers believe this rubber counting mechanism could have applications in fields such as bridge engineering and could potentially be expanded to count larger numbers.