From: allin
Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with absolutely no resistance [01:10:05]. This means electrons flow through them perfectly without bumping into atoms or generating heat [01:10:10]. This unique property leads to no loss of power in the transmission of electricity [01:10:18].
Historical Discovery and Development
The concept of superconductivity was first discovered in 1911 when Mercury was cooled to a very low temperature [01:09:57]. In 1987, physicist Chu developed one of the first ceramic superconductors, demonstrating a new way of achieving superconductivity at hotter temperatures, specifically at the temperature of liquid nitrogen [01:12:25]. This was a significant step as liquid nitrogen is relatively cheap [01:13:01].
Key Properties Beyond Zero Resistance
In addition to zero electrical resistance, superconductors exhibit another interesting effect: magnetic fields reflect off the metal perfectly [01:10:25]. This means a magnet placed on top of a superconductor will float [01:10:35].
Potential Applications of Superconductors
If room-temperature superconductivity can be achieved, the potential applications are vast and transformative:
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Efficient Energy Transmission Currently, about 15% of power is lost in transmission from the power station to homes [01:10:55]. Superconductors could eliminate this loss entirely [01:10:54].
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Frictionless Transportation Superconductors could enable maglev trains or other frictionless transportation systems that float above a superconducting track [01:11:02]. With no friction, such trains could move without needing continuous energy input after an initial push [01:11:13].
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Powerful Microprocessors A superconductor microprocessor could use just one percent of the energy of a traditional semiconductor microprocessor [01:11:22]. This would drastically reduce energy needs for AI chips and other computing applications [01:11:34].
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Infinite Battery Storage Superconductors could be coiled to create batteries where electricity flows infinitely without turning into heat [01:11:46]. The energy loss in such a battery would be less than five percent, and it would not require the materials currently used for chemical batteries [01:11:59].
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Medical Imaging (Current Use) Today, MRI machines utilize superconductors to reflect magnetic fields, keeping cool using liquid nitrogen [01:13:03].
Challenges to Widespread Adoption
For most of the transformative applications, materials need to superconduct at room temperature [01:13:25]. While some materials have shown superconductivity at high temperatures, they often require extremely high pressure, making them not industrially feasible [01:15:00]. Scientists have tried various materials including metals, carbon nanotubes, fullerene tubes, and tens of thousands of ceramics [01:13:50].
Recent Controversies: Ranga Diaz’s Claims
Ranga Diaz published a paper claiming to have achieved superconductivity at room temperature and at only one gigapascal of pressure [01:15:10]. This sparked significant interest, as it would be a major step towards industrial application [01:15:38]. However, Diaz is a controversial figure, as a previous claim he made in 2020 was retracted by Nature journal after other scientists could not replicate his results [01:16:00]. The controversy stemmed from his data analysis methods, which some believed skewed the results [01:16:17]. His claims are currently undergoing scrutiny [01:17:39].
Future Prospects and Enabling Technologies
The scientific community is divided on the feasibility of room-temperature superconductors in the near future [01:17:31]. However, the advancement of Quantum Computing could play a significant role in accelerating discovery [01:23:10]. Current understanding of superconductivity is limited, with only one theory (BCS theory on Cooper pairing in Ceramics) explaining its mechanics [01:23:17]. Quantum Computing could help model molecular-level phenomena and simulate new crystal structures and molecules, potentially leading to the discovery of super-conductive materials that would take too long to test experimentally [01:23:37].
::info The realization of room-temperature superconductivity could lead to “two or three order of magnitude improvements in the efficiency of certain systems of industry on Earth today” [01:24:01]. This includes reducing energy costs by 99% and increasing computing power a hundredfold [01:24:22]. ::