To some degree of approximation, atomic nuclei are spherical, though distorted to a greater or lesser extent. When the nucleus is excited, its shape may change, but only for an extremely brief moment, after which it returns to its original state. A relatively permanent ‘second face’ of atomic nuclei has so far only been observed in the most massive elements. Recently, physicists from Poland, Italy, Japan, Belgium and Romania have for the first time registered this phenomenon in a light nucleus.