Tempered glass Memes

Prince Rupert's Drops are basically glass teardrops with superpowers! Created by dropping molten glass into cold water, these little guys can withstand a hammer to the bulb end but EXPLODE if you barely tap the tail. Materials scientists geek out over the incredible stress distribution that makes them nearly indestructible from one end but comically fragile from the other. Meanwhile, sci-fi fans see the same object and think "magical artifact with mystical properties" because honestly, the physics is so wild it might as well be magic! The duality of nerd appreciation in one teardrop-shaped package!