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Possible Room Temperature Superconductor Achieved
TechkNighT_1337 sends news that surfaced on the Next Big Future blog, concerning research out of the University of Bengal, in India. The report is of a possible superconducting effect at ambient room temperatures. Here is the paper on the ArXiv. (Note that this research has not been peer-reviewed or published yet.) "We report the observation of an exceptionally large room-temperature electrical conductivity in silver and aluminum layers deposited on a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) substrate. The surface resistance of the silver-coated samples also shows a sharp change near 313 K. The results are strongly suggestive of a superconductive interfacial layer, and have been interpreted in the framework of Bose-Einstein condensation of bipolarons as the suggested mechanism for high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates. ... The fact that the results described above have been obtained from very simply-fabricated systems, without the use of any sophisticated set-up and any special attention being given to crystal purity, atomic perfection, lattice matching, etc. suggests that the physical process is a universal one, involving only an interface between a metal and an insulator with a large low-frequency dielectric constant. We note in passing that PZT and the cuprates have similar (perovskite or perovskite-based) crystal structures. This resemblance may provide an added insight into the basic mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity."
Answer that and you'll get a Nobel Prize.
Meh. To get a Nobel prize one merely has to be elected as President of the United States. The bar has been lowered somewhat, of late.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
MaN eVeRyWhErE i LoOk...
aLlS i SeE iS mOtHeRfUcKiN mIrAcLeS.
It'S sO sPiRiTuAl, AlL tHeSe mIrAcLeS aNd ShIt.
oK lIkE jUsT bE tAkIn tHiS fUcKiN tItS bOtTlE oF fUcKiN fAyGo I jUsT cRaCkEd Up OpEn.
AnD hOw It'S bEiNg AlL lIkE hIsSiNg AnD sHiT.
mOtHeRfUcKiN hIsSiNg MaN, wHo WeNt AlL aNd ToLd It To Do ThAt?
HoW wOuLd It EvEn Do ThAt, It'S cRaZy.
iT's A mIrAcLe.
Oh, the Peace and Economics prizes are often indications of whim,
Nice understatement.
Let's see, off the top of my head we have a man who has done nothing and a known terrorist - both receiving the peace prize. At this point the suggestion the peace prize serves more of a bribe than a reward has obtained far more credibility. Stating its given on a "whim" just seems to fall, way, way, way, way short of reality. ;)