tl;dr by ChatGPT:
Scientists have discovered a quasiparticle, the semi-Dirac fermion, which behaves unusually by having mass in one direction but being massless in another. Found in a ZrSiS crystal at extremely low temperatures, this particle challenges conventional physics. Researchers used magneto-optical spectroscopy and strong magnetic fields to observe it. The discovery opens new possibilities in quantum physics and electronics, though many questions remain unanswered.
Deutsch:
Wissenschaftler haben ein Quasiteilchen, das semi-Dirac-Fermion, entdeckt, das in eine Richtung masselos ist, in die andere jedoch Masse hat. Es wurde in einem ZrSiS-Kristall bei extrem niedrigen Temperaturen gefunden. Mithilfe von Magneto-Optischer Spektroskopie und starken Magnetfeldern konnte dieses ungewöhnliche Verhalten beobachtet werden. Die Entdeckung eröffnet neue Möglichkeiten in der Quantenphysik, wirft aber noch viele Fragen auf.
I do not understand this, so I’ll joke:
We should find out which direction is the common “massfull” direction, and call that “Universal Up.”
Regrettably, most of my mass is in a direction I would have to call, “down”…
(I don’t understand it either, so I’ll be self-deprecating!)
I was thinking about resistance, and energy required to lift things. But that works, too. I think “backwards” is also a good choice.
I’m studiously ignoring the reply that informed me that the direction is local, not universal, because that’s boring.
Unfortunately I think the directions are only local to the crystal lattice. And being a quasiparticle it is confined to the crystal.
On the up side, you could probably consider this to be an actual magic crystal with special properties, so there is that.