Micropillar Experiment Equipment (IMAGE) University of Pennsylvania Caption The researchers' experiments involved measuring the strain on micropillar as it was pressed on by a punch. They demonstrated that the scaling between a glassy material's stiffness and strength remains unchanged, implying a constant critical strain that these materials can withstand before catastrophic failure, despite the extreme variation found among this class of material's physical properties. Credit University of Pennsylvania Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.