San Francisco, 8:49 PM
Tue Nov 10
25 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip your editors: tips@io9.com
Editor-in-Chief:
Annalee Newitz | Email
News Editor:
Charlie Jane Anders | Email
Associate Editor:
Meredith Woerner | Email
Assistant Editor:
Lauren Davis | Email
Weekend Editor:
Graeme McMillan | Email
Contributors:
Joshua Glenn
Stephen Goldmeier | Email
Ed Grabianowski | Email
Austin Grossman
Paul Hogan | Email
Lauren Davis | Email
Chris Hsiang | Email
Lynn Peril | Email
Ann VanderMeer
Alasdair Wilkins | Email
Graphic Designer:
Stephanie Fox | Email
Interns:
Tim Barribeau | Email
Julia Carusillo | Email
Alex Eichler | Email
Cyriaque Lamar | Email
Caitlin Petrakovitz | Email
Mary Ratliff | Email
Josh Snyder | Email
| posts about #particleaccelerator more → |
Superconductors Make Life (and Science Fiction) Awesome |
Torchwood To Continue Without Pictures |
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
io9 
08/17/09
08/17/09
The real difference between Type-I and Type-II aren't what they're made of or at which temperature they change (although these are good indicators) but rather how they behave when exposed to a strong external magnetic field.
Type-I will suddenly stop being superconductive after a cutoff strength, while Type-II will slowly allow some magnetic flux through with increased field strength or temperature.
The theory of type-II superconductors are in fact already quite well understood, using extensions and modifications of BCS theory. The basic idea is that there are some vortices (think holes) in the superconducting material's magnetic field where magnetic fields/flux can go through.
What's *not* well understood is why some materials are superconducting despite our theories saying they shouldn't behave like that. (usually we find that they are superconducting at much higher temperatures than our theoretical predictions)
If we understood why, then we could hopefully design a room-temperature superconducting material... and that would be really awesomely wonderful.
That stuff about negative resistance... nope, unlikely. PendensProditor mentioned Niven using lots of superconductors in his books - he also loved an useful saying for stuff like this: TANSTAAFL, There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
08/17/09
In the patent and pseudo-science-debunking fields, that's called an "electrical multiplier". They're a sub-class of perpetual motion/free energy machines. They usually originate from people who don't understand the relationship between voltage and amperage.
08/17/09
08/17/09
08/17/09
Reminds me of one of my all-time favorite KFOG Midday Mind Games questions: what's common to water, metal, and MTT?
08/17/09
Seriously, superinsulators are awesome.
08/17/09
08/17/09
08/17/09
He uses them everywhere. As I suppose we would if we had them (at room temperature).