Fast passage through a continuous phase transition is expected to result in the creation of topical defects via the Kibble mechanism. Recent experiments involving the expansion of a small volume of liquid He-4 through the lambda (superfluid) transition, as a model of the GUT (grand unified theory) symmetry-breaking transition of the early universe, are discussed and set in context. Copious creation of quantized vortices, analogous to cosmic strings, is expected but not observed. The possibility of developing a more sensitive version of the experiment is considered.