It has only recently been discovered that the plastic deformation of solids is not "smooth" in either space or time. Elementary plastic deformation events—such as dislocation avalanches, mechanical twinning, and martensitic transformations—are typically hidden within deformation curves, which provide only averaged information. This concealment arises from the simultaneous plastic activity occurring at multiple locations within a sample, combined with the limited force and time resolution of conventional deformation devices.

In contrast, modern supplementary techniques—such as acoustic emission monitoring and high-resolution and/or ultra-fast imaging—enable detailed characterization of deformation mechanisms. We employ these techniques to study metallic materials across scales, from macro to micro, where deformation behavior becomes increasingly erratic. Using these methods, we can recognize spatial and temporal patterns in seemingly random plastic events by applying various statistical analyses.

As a practical example, we present deformation experiments, conducted using unique experimental setups, on metallic specimens ranging from the micron scale (micropillar) materials up to the complex bulk-scale high-entropy alloys exhibiting intriguing deformation dynamics. The findings advance the fundamental understanding of deformation dynamics in crystalline materials and provide valuable insights for the design of emerging micron-scale mechanical devices as well as next-generation metallic materials.