Self-assembly is a process in which interacting bodies are autonomously driven   
   into ordered structures. Static structures such as crystals often form through   
   simple energy minimization, whereas dynamic ones require continuous energy   
   input to grow and    
   sustain. Dynamic systems are ubiquitous in nature and biology but have proven   
   challenging to understand and engineer. Here, we bridge the gap from static to   
   dynamic self-assembly by introducing a model system based on ferrofluid   
   droplets on    
   superhydrophobic surfaces. The droplets self-assemble under a static external   
   magnetic field into simple patterns that can be switched to complicated   
   dynamic dissipative structures by applying a time-varying magnetic field. The   
   transition between the    
   static and dynamic patterns involves kinetic trapping and shows complexity   
   that can be directly visualized.    
      
   http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6143/253.full?sid=0d197496   
   08c7-4790-a9ea-2cc5862c4611   
      
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