Entropy is a hot mess. Randomness and disorder are not exactly virtues in science. Yet it turns out, a sloppy jumble of differently sized atoms can do a better job stabilizing certain nanocrystals than a tidy arrangement of such elements. These so-called high-entropy materials are now being eagerly studied because they could revolutionize a broad range of applications, from energy storage and conversion to ultra-high temperature thermal insulators and electromagnetic interference shielding.
