Weird electron behaviour thrills physicists

Two teams have observed that electrons, which usually have a charge of –1, can behave as if they had fractional charges (such as –⅔) — and do so without being nudged by an external magnetic field. It’s the first time this ‘fractional quantum anomalous Hall effect’ has been observed experimentally, and physicists are scratching their heads over exactly how it works. It’s a fundamental discovery that might also someday have practical applications: fractionally charged particles are a key requirement for a certain type of quantum computer.