A tiny, levitated glass sphere behaves like the hottest engine ever made

A 5-micrometer glass sphere levitated in an electric field has become the hottest engine ever created by reaching an effective temperature of 13 million degrees Celsius through violent jiggling motions. While not actually hot to touch, this microscopic heat engine achieved a remarkable hot-to-cold temperature ratio of 100, compared to just 3 for commercial engines. The breakthrough allows scientists to study extreme thermodynamics at microscales, potentially helping researchers understand biological engines like motor proteins inside cells.