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New Type of Superconductivity Spotted
sciencehabit writes with this excerpt from a story about research into an unusual form of superconductivity:"Superconductors, materials that carry electricity without resistance, can be divided into two broad groups depending on how they react to a magnetic field — or so physicists thought. New experiments show that one well-studied superconductor actually belongs to both groups at the same time. The advance may not immediately lead to new gadgets and applications, but it suggests that superconductivity, which has already netted four Nobel Prizes, may be an even richer phenomenon than previously thought."
Whenever there is a talk about superconductors, the first question that gets asked is at what temperature would we get resistance free material. Its application in gadgets, or even the funding for in depth study of Type 1.5 superconductors would hinge around that question.
Face your daemons!
A room-temperature superconductor would be nice, but even with today's superconductors a hell of a lot can be done...in space!
With all this talk of inter-planetary space travel, space provides the right temperature without expensive cooling systems. Simply insulate the superconductors from direct sunlight and you get great applications like passive superconductor magnetic bearings and other cool oddities that you would only get with expensive cooling systems here on earth.
Heat buildup from what, electrical resistance?
It's sometimes hard to see it from Earth, but it turns out there is a really large glowing ball out there sending heat in a directions.
The shade will heat up, then emit IR radiation, which is the light that causes that heat in the first place. All bodies radiate, how much depends on their temperature.
Not a sentence!
Temperature is the wrong problem to focus on. Liquid nitrogen is relatively inexpensive & easily handled. With a good insulation system, it costs very little to keep it liquid. The real problem is that despite lots of industry & government involvement, high temp superconductors are still expensive to manufacture & not easily turned into wires.