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Scientists Create New Form of Matter
soren100 writes "Yahoo News has a story about scientists creating a sixth form of matter. They are calling their new state of matter a 'fermionic condensate.' Somehow they got potassium atoms to form pairs similar to the 'Cooper pairs' that make superconducting possible. Maybe any quantum physicists around can tell us more about this, but it certainly sounds pretty revolutionary. The scientists are predicting that this will lead to 'room temperature solid' superconductors, which in turn will enable us to have better electricity generators, more efficient electric motors, and (our favorite) cheaper maglev trains."
Maybe, but how will you tell the real quantum physicists from the myriad of armchair quantum physicists who think they know what it's all about.
If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
Being able to do that cool thing where you take a metal toy and then put a magnet under the desk and make it move around, you know that thing, now you can do it through walls.
He who knows not and knows he knows not is a wise man. He who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool.
more efficient electric motors, and (our favorite) cheaper maglev trains.
Maglevs are cool, but the real slashdotter wants to know how it will help build space elevators.
Heck with maglev, gimme FTL !
Clinton took it.
_O_
.|< The named which can be named is not the true named
Lets see... ... ...
They cooled potassium gas to a billionth of a degree C above absolute zero or minus 459 degrees F -- which is the point at which matter stops moving.
Step 1. Freeze until cold cold cold (like a regular superconductor)
Step 2. ???
Step 3. Have a room temperature superconductor
Step 4. PROFIT!!!!
Ok, seriously... Whats to say that you can't get any kind of matter to act like superconductors at a low enough temperature?
And while I'm at it:
Imagine a beowulf clust.....
I believe there's a monorail in Springfield, Illinois. It's well documented; I thought everyone knew about it?
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
Thats good, it was bad enough when I licked a street light with my tongue on a dare in the cold of winter once.
~~ Behold the flying cow with a rail gun! ~~
Its the Bose-Einstein condensate - and may I point out what a SHIT name this is for a form of matter.
.... etc... etc.... etc...
When you're naming a star, a hurricane, or a child you know you have a good chance of some more coming along later - so hell - John or Mary will do nicely.
But with forms of matter I think they missed a trick. Plasma is a pretty cool name after all. I would have thought a few minutes spent searching for the phone number for Douglas Adams and a quick "Hey - Doug - can I call you Doug - No? - Okay - Mr Adams - You were joking? - cool - very funny - ANyway - we have a new form of matter - and we can only think up really shit scientificy names for it - any chance of you coming up with some options we can present to the board? - None of your stupid numbers or shit - a proper kick ass name
Shhh, this is Slashdot, 99.9 percent of the people couldn't tell you the difference but like to think they could. Please, don't shatter their illusions.
(Cue 20 flames from people who can tell the difference.)
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
Actually they DID call up Douglas Adams and ask him for a name to give their new form of matter, but the only reply he would give is "I'm fucking dead!"
I think they picked the lesser of two evils when went with "Bose-Einstein condensate"...
Sometimes the best solution to morale problems is just to fire all the unhappy people.
When will this matter?
so do i add this before or after the cold fusion reactor on my vapourware list? :P
We played dungeons and dragons for 3 hours.....then i was slain by an elf
Most of the modern coasters use linear motors to launch the trains, so better conductors and magnets would make the launch systems faster (and cheaper) :-)
Perhaps we can see someone building something to beat the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point for being the tallest, fastest coaster (when its working).
You insensitive cold.
So... quantum whatever... can I touch it? Without massive pain? What's it feel like?
--
In London? Need a Physics Tutor?
You're the damn physics tutor, you tell me.
does it matter? or does it anti-matter?
Why, by making an observation of course! After that their quantum state collapses to just one state, either a real or an armchair quantum physicist.
The problem is that you'll either be able to read what they wrote, or determine how intelligent the post is -- but by knowing one, the other is forever lost. Quite the quantum quandry!
Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
Seeing as this form of matter only exists at billionth of a degree C above absolute zero, I can see this as being useful only for New York trains in the winter. . .
Whoa! Who said Springfield is in Illinois? Isn't the whole idea of Springfield that it is in every state? If there's proof it's in Illinois, please point the way.
I'm allowed to call watercooling-idiots... "IDIOTS!"
That's the fifth element, you boron.
So we have Earth, Water, Wind and Fire???? What is the fifth ;)
As cunning as a fox, which has just been appointed professor of cunning at Oxford University. http://www.kinlan.co
This will not do! I demand that the scientists come up with a name for this stuff that is more fun. You just can't use this properly in sci-fi films. Observe:
Captain Shamerica: Cease and desist, foul scum!
Grokthor: Never! *rowr*
Captain Shamerica: Then I shall blast you with my fermionic condensate ray!
See? Poor Captain Shamerica now looks like a pussy because he's using some weirdo-thingy to whack the bad guys.
New name! New name! *forms picket line*
Blog,Twitter
Okay, what was the fifth?
Mila Jovovich. Duh.
"We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
the economics will never see a real useful maglev
"never" is a very long time. =)
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