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Red Wine and the Secret of Superconductivity

Posted by timothy on from the just-ask-bender dept.

cold fjord writes "Red wine is a popular marinade for meat, but it also may become a popular treatment for creating iron-based superconductors as well (Link to academic paper): 'Last year, a group of Japanese physicists grabbed headlines around the world by announcing that they could induce superconductivity in a sample of iron telluride by soaking it in red wine. They found that other alcoholic drinks also worked — white wine, beer, sake and so on — but red wine was by far the best. The question, of course, is why. What is it about red wine that does the trick? Today, these guys provide an answer — at least in part. Keita Deguchi at the National Institute for Materials Science in Tsukuba, Japan, and a few buddies, say the mystery ingredient is tartaric acid and have the experimental data to show that it plays an important role in the process. ... It turns out the best performer is a wine made from the gamay grape — for the connoisseurs, that's a 2009 Beajoulais from the Paul Beaudet winery in central France.'"

13 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. Well, obviously by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Alcohol -> less resistance.

    And we needed scientists to figure this out... why?

    1. Re:Well, obviously by waterbear · · Score: 3, Funny

      But are they sure that it wasn't the observers who were inadvertently soaked in red wine?

    2. Re:Well, obviously by mooingyak · · Score: 5, Funny

      Alcohol -> less resistance.

      And we needed scientists to figure this out... why?

      Well sure, they said any alcohol would do. But why does red wine work best?

      Clearly red wines are superior to white wines. But if we're talking about lowering resistance, you'd expect beer or wine coolers to be far more effective. Or jello shots. Did they even try jello shots?

      --
      William of Ockham had no beard. The most likely explanation is that it was chewed off by squirrels every morning.
  2. Ah-ha! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's why Bender drinks. To keep the superconductors flowing.
    I thought the alcohol was fuel.

  3. Just an excuse. by billcarson · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is just a cover for their excessive spending of their research grant on booze.

    1. Re:Just an excuse. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "No, seriously, that request for a bottle of 1947 Cheval Blanc is absolutely critical to our research!"

  4. some people I know by roman_mir · · Score: 4, Funny

    Some people are just walking talking superconductors then.

    --
    You can't handle the truth.
    1. Re:some people I know by hamburger+lady · · Score: 4, Funny

      given that jesus's blood was wine, that dude would probably exhibit a hell of a meissner effect. maybe that's how he pulled off the whole 'walk on water' shtick.

      --

      ---
      Is this the MPAA? Is this the RIAA? Is this the DMCA? I thought it was the USA!
  5. That explains it.... by mseeger · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think that explains why my brain seems to go faster after 1-2 bottles.

  6. Re:No really! by cvtan · · Score: 5, Funny

    The correct line is, "Back off man, I'm a scientist."

    --
    Sorry, but gray text on gray background is making my eyes bleed.
  7. Re:Why did they do this by Empiric · · Score: 3, Funny

    Probably had a theist on staff.

    When you mix the most "spiritually transformative" substance described with the most "spiritually inhibitory" substance... something weird's probably going to happen. ;)

    --
    ~ Whence do you come, slayer of men, or where are you going, conqueror of space?
  8. Re:Prohibition by amiga3D · · Score: 3, Funny

    Dude, you are like...such a drag man. What a downer.

  9. Re:So, if we drink red wine... by ozmanjusri · · Score: 3, Funny

    do we get electrocuted easier?

    No, we just get really really good at leading orchestras. At least, we think we do,

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."