The fifth state of matter—the ultracold Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC)—has been an invaluable tool in unlocking the secrets of quantum physics. Now, scientists from Columbia University have created a molecular sodium-cesium BEC that’s dipolar, which opens the door for dozens of exotic matter applications. To achieve this breakthrough, the research team leveraged two microwave fields to create the BEC, which lasts a full two seconds (a pretty long time in quantum physics research). Because this experiment enables precise control over quantum interactions—according to Jun Ye, an ultracold scientist at UC-Boulder—the impacts on quantum chemistry could also be pretty profound. The universe’s little-known fifth state of matter continues to surprise us more than a century after its startling introduction into the known world of physics.