In this podcast episode, MRS Bulletin’s Laura Leay interviews Carmel Majidi from Carnegie Mellon University about an adaptive-responsive soft micro-robot. The key is eliciting a liquid–solid phase transition through electromagnetic induction. In addition to using the magnetic field to induce the phase change, it can also be used to make the machine move. A soft, low-rigidity body is vital for adapting a miniature machine to a variety of applications or a changing environment. This work was published in a recent issue of Matter.