Richard G. Morris
@r-g-morris.bsky.social
Theoretical physicist | UNSW, Sydney and EMBL Australia | Soft, Active and Biological Matter | Father of four daughters | Posts my own.
12/ Read the pre-print
If you’re curious, the full paper is available at arXiv:2510.14725.
If you’re curious, the full paper is available at arXiv:2510.14725.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
12/ Read the pre-print
If you’re curious, the full paper is available at arXiv:2510.14725.
If you’re curious, the full paper is available at arXiv:2510.14725.
11/ Who did the work
The work was driven by three exceptional early-career researchers, Sami Al-Izzi (theory), Yao Du (experiment) and Jack Binysh (theory and experiment).
The work was driven by three exceptional early-career researchers, Sami Al-Izzi (theory), Yao Du (experiment) and Jack Binysh (theory and experiment).
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
11/ Who did the work
The work was driven by three exceptional early-career researchers, Sami Al-Izzi (theory), Yao Du (experiment) and Jack Binysh (theory and experiment).
The work was driven by three exceptional early-career researchers, Sami Al-Izzi (theory), Yao Du (experiment) and Jack Binysh (theory and experiment).
10/ Why it matters #3
More broadly, critical exceptional point physics in mechanical systems may become a general tool for designing dynamic behaviour.
More broadly, critical exceptional point physics in mechanical systems may become a general tool for designing dynamic behaviour.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
10/ Why it matters #3
More broadly, critical exceptional point physics in mechanical systems may become a general tool for designing dynamic behaviour.
More broadly, critical exceptional point physics in mechanical systems may become a general tool for designing dynamic behaviour.
9/ Why it matters #2
The fact that the system is free-standing and self-driven (via its geometry and internal coupling) opens new pathways for soft robots, adaptable materials, or smart structures that respond without the heavy electronics associated with global control mechanisms.
The fact that the system is free-standing and self-driven (via its geometry and internal coupling) opens new pathways for soft robots, adaptable materials, or smart structures that respond without the heavy electronics associated with global control mechanisms.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
9/ Why it matters #2
The fact that the system is free-standing and self-driven (via its geometry and internal coupling) opens new pathways for soft robots, adaptable materials, or smart structures that respond without the heavy electronics associated with global control mechanisms.
The fact that the system is free-standing and self-driven (via its geometry and internal coupling) opens new pathways for soft robots, adaptable materials, or smart structures that respond without the heavy electronics associated with global control mechanisms.
8/ Why it matters #1
It shows that instabilities (often seen as undesirable) can be harnessed for function. Instead of fighting buckling, we exploit it.
It shows that instabilities (often seen as undesirable) can be harnessed for function. Instead of fighting buckling, we exploit it.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
8/ Why it matters #1
It shows that instabilities (often seen as undesirable) can be harnessed for function. Instead of fighting buckling, we exploit it.
It shows that instabilities (often seen as undesirable) can be harnessed for function. Instead of fighting buckling, we exploit it.
7/What can it do?
The resulting filament can perform multiple “functions” (hence “polyfunctional”): crawling on a substrate, digging through a soft medium, walking (in a sense) by periodic shape changes, all without external tethering or control signals.
The resulting filament can perform multiple “functions” (hence “polyfunctional”): crawling on a substrate, digging through a soft medium, walking (in a sense) by periodic shape changes, all without external tethering or control signals.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
7/What can it do?
The resulting filament can perform multiple “functions” (hence “polyfunctional”): crawling on a substrate, digging through a soft medium, walking (in a sense) by periodic shape changes, all without external tethering or control signals.
The resulting filament can perform multiple “functions” (hence “polyfunctional”): crawling on a substrate, digging through a soft medium, walking (in a sense) by periodic shape changes, all without external tethering or control signals.
6/CEP
The self-snapping transition isn’t governed by the standard “critical point” of buckling, but by a “critical exceptional point” — a concept where two modes become simultaneously unstable and degenerate.
The self-snapping transition isn’t governed by the standard “critical point” of buckling, but by a “critical exceptional point” — a concept where two modes become simultaneously unstable and degenerate.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
6/CEP
The self-snapping transition isn’t governed by the standard “critical point” of buckling, but by a “critical exceptional point” — a concept where two modes become simultaneously unstable and degenerate.
The self-snapping transition isn’t governed by the standard “critical point” of buckling, but by a “critical exceptional point” — a concept where two modes become simultaneously unstable and degenerate.
5/ How is it achieved?
To construct a filament with these properties, we assemble it from smaller (active, powered) links that respond to bending in an anti-symmetric way. This results in a filament whose response to compression is persistent cycles of shape change (self-snapping).
To construct a filament with these properties, we assemble it from smaller (active, powered) links that respond to bending in an anti-symmetric way. This results in a filament whose response to compression is persistent cycles of shape change (self-snapping).
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
5/ How is it achieved?
To construct a filament with these properties, we assemble it from smaller (active, powered) links that respond to bending in an anti-symmetric way. This results in a filament whose response to compression is persistent cycles of shape change (self-snapping).
To construct a filament with these properties, we assemble it from smaller (active, powered) links that respond to bending in an anti-symmetric way. This results in a filament whose response to compression is persistent cycles of shape change (self-snapping).
4/ What is “non-reciprocal buckling”?
In simple buckling, you compress a beam and at some point it “snaps” into a bent shape. The process is reciprocal: push one way, it deforms; release, and it comes back. “Non-reciprocal” means the forward and backward processes are not mirror images.
In simple buckling, you compress a beam and at some point it “snaps” into a bent shape. The process is reciprocal: push one way, it deforms; release, and it comes back. “Non-reciprocal” means the forward and backward processes are not mirror images.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
4/ What is “non-reciprocal buckling”?
In simple buckling, you compress a beam and at some point it “snaps” into a bent shape. The process is reciprocal: push one way, it deforms; release, and it comes back. “Non-reciprocal” means the forward and backward processes are not mirror images.
In simple buckling, you compress a beam and at some point it “snaps” into a bent shape. The process is reciprocal: push one way, it deforms; release, and it comes back. “Non-reciprocal” means the forward and backward processes are not mirror images.
3/Approach
How can you do this? The answer is by harnessing instabilities (buckling) in a clever way. We developed the concept of non-reciprocal buckling to design a free-standing slender structure (i.e., not tethered) that can change shape in programmable, useful ways, like walk, dig, or crawl.
How can you do this? The answer is by harnessing instabilities (buckling) in a clever way. We developed the concept of non-reciprocal buckling to design a free-standing slender structure (i.e., not tethered) that can change shape in programmable, useful ways, like walk, dig, or crawl.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
3/Approach
How can you do this? The answer is by harnessing instabilities (buckling) in a clever way. We developed the concept of non-reciprocal buckling to design a free-standing slender structure (i.e., not tethered) that can change shape in programmable, useful ways, like walk, dig, or crawl.
How can you do this? The answer is by harnessing instabilities (buckling) in a clever way. We developed the concept of non-reciprocal buckling to design a free-standing slender structure (i.e., not tethered) that can change shape in programmable, useful ways, like walk, dig, or crawl.
2/ Why is it hard?
Typically, either the filament’s behaviour is dependent on interactions with the substrate (it works differently if you pick it up), or, you need some sort of global coordination. We want neither: a filament that can be picked up, or put in water, and doesn’t need a “brain”.
Typically, either the filament’s behaviour is dependent on interactions with the substrate (it works differently if you pick it up), or, you need some sort of global coordination. We want neither: a filament that can be picked up, or put in water, and doesn’t need a “brain”.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
2/ Why is it hard?
Typically, either the filament’s behaviour is dependent on interactions with the substrate (it works differently if you pick it up), or, you need some sort of global coordination. We want neither: a filament that can be picked up, or put in water, and doesn’t need a “brain”.
Typically, either the filament’s behaviour is dependent on interactions with the substrate (it works differently if you pick it up), or, you need some sort of global coordination. We want neither: a filament that can be picked up, or put in water, and doesn’t need a “brain”.
1/ Problem
From flagella to muscles and robotic arms, active filaments are responsible for motion, actuation, and mechanical work. But designing them turns out to be not so easy.
From flagella to muscles and robotic arms, active filaments are responsible for motion, actuation, and mechanical work. But designing them turns out to be not so easy.
November 25, 2025 at 11:15 PM
1/ Problem
From flagella to muscles and robotic arms, active filaments are responsible for motion, actuation, and mechanical work. But designing them turns out to be not so easy.
From flagella to muscles and robotic arms, active filaments are responsible for motion, actuation, and mechanical work. But designing them turns out to be not so easy.
And this is the paper I covered in the second half of the talk: journals.aps.org/prresearch/a...
journals.aps.org
November 21, 2025 at 8:33 AM
And this is the paper I covered in the second half of the talk: journals.aps.org/prresearch/a...
This is the preprint that I covered in the first half of the talk: arxiv.org/abs/2508.12871
Stochastic Multistability of Clonallike States in the Eigen Model: a Fidelity Catastrophe
The Eigen model is a prototypical toy model of evolution that is synonymous with the so-called error catastrophe: when mutation rates are sufficiently high, the genetic variant with the largest replic...
arxiv.org
November 21, 2025 at 8:31 AM
This is the preprint that I covered in the first half of the talk: arxiv.org/abs/2508.12871
6/
One of the lessons of HIV appears to be that nature doesn’t separate physics from life: the geometry of the viral shell is an evolutionary solution to the soft matter problem of passing through the nuclear pore.
#HIV #biophysics #softmatter #geometryoflife
One of the lessons of HIV appears to be that nature doesn’t separate physics from life: the geometry of the viral shell is an evolutionary solution to the soft matter problem of passing through the nuclear pore.
#HIV #biophysics #softmatter #geometryoflife
November 19, 2025 at 11:40 AM
6/
One of the lessons of HIV appears to be that nature doesn’t separate physics from life: the geometry of the viral shell is an evolutionary solution to the soft matter problem of passing through the nuclear pore.
#HIV #biophysics #softmatter #geometryoflife
One of the lessons of HIV appears to be that nature doesn’t separate physics from life: the geometry of the viral shell is an evolutionary solution to the soft matter problem of passing through the nuclear pore.
#HIV #biophysics #softmatter #geometryoflife
5/
Why does this matter? If we can understand the physics underpinning HIV capsid translocation, we are closer to codifying principles for disrupting the process as well as designing artificial methods for getting genetic material inside the nucleus.
Why does this matter? If we can understand the physics underpinning HIV capsid translocation, we are closer to codifying principles for disrupting the process as well as designing artificial methods for getting genetic material inside the nucleus.
November 19, 2025 at 11:40 AM
5/
Why does this matter? If we can understand the physics underpinning HIV capsid translocation, we are closer to codifying principles for disrupting the process as well as designing artificial methods for getting genetic material inside the nucleus.
Why does this matter? If we can understand the physics underpinning HIV capsid translocation, we are closer to codifying principles for disrupting the process as well as designing artificial methods for getting genetic material inside the nucleus.