Soft matter deals with colloids, granular matter, liquid crystals, polymers, and other easily deformed materials, and with an emphasis on the mesoscopic scale (between small molecule and macroscopic). Soft matter is characterized by its facile response to thermal fluctuations and external forces, with the resultant materials having a diverse range of technological applications (e.g. in packaging, detergents, cosmetics, paints, and fuel additives).