The practical application of these materials was advanced by RCA researcher Richard Williams's discovery of the TN-effect, which allows the electrical modulation of a twisted 
The practical application of these materials was advanced by RCA researcher Richard Williams's discovery of the TN-effect, which allows the electrical modulation of a twisted or untwisted geometry. Austrian botanist Friedrich Reinitzer discovered the first of these materials, which exhibited a helical structure and was of their cholesteric variety. If these materials are formed based on the addition of a solvent, they are termed (*) lyotropic. Thermotropic types of these materials, which are ordered based on temperature, include their nematic and smectic phases. These mesophasic materials are named because they exhibit both the ordering properties of one of their namesakes, and the flow properties of the other. For 10 points, name this phase of matter used for the displays on some digital wristwatches and alarm clocks.
The practical application of these materials was advanced by RCA researcher Richard Williams's discovery of the TN-effect, which allows the electrical modulation of a twisted or untwisted geometry.