Active matter refers to systems of self-propelled agents (like cells, bacteria, or robots) that consume energy to move, creating complex, out-of-equilibrium collective behaviors not seen in passive materials, such as swarming, self-organization, and emergent patterns like liquid crystals or flowing gels, found in both living systems and synthetic devices. It’s a physics field studying these dynamic systems that constantly inject energy, leading to life-like properties like motility, self-healing, and reproduction.
Further reading
- A nice list of publications on Prof. Shashank Shekhar’s website.