Cambridge Scientists Have Unlocked The Secrets Of Superconductivity - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Scientists from the [URL="http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/superconducting-secrets-solved-after-30-years"]University of Cambridge[/URL] believe they have solved the longstanding mystery of where superconductivity emerges in high-temperature superconductors. Equipped with this knowledge, scientists may be able to tap into the astronomical potential of these materials which could have applications in a wide variety of technologies, from magnetic levitating trains to supercomputers.Through understanding where superconductive properties originate, scientists can now search for similar characteristics in other materials which should significantly speed up the search for new superconductors. In this recent report, scientists reveal that superconductivity emerges from twisted pockets of electrons in the material which are the result of charge density waves, or ripples of electrons. The study has been published in [URL="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13326.html"][I]Nature[/I][/URL]. [...] The researchers knew that in the majority of materials, superconductivity tends to abrogate other properties that the material has in its normal state, such as magnetism. It is therefore possible to produce superconductivity by suppressing these normal state properties, and vice versa. Through the use of strong magnetic fields, the team successfully suppressed the superconductivity of materials belonging to a family of copper oxide compounds known as cuprates. This allowed the researchers to finally locate the source of electrons in the natural-state material that pair up when the material becomes a superconductor. Much to their surprise, it turns out that the electron pockets are located where superconductivity is weakest, as opposed to the strongest. These pockets originate from undulations of electrons called charge density waves.[/QUOTE] Perhaps we could use the Meissner Effect as a poor man's way of searching for these electron pockets. Either way...Let the hunt for high-temp superconductors begin!!!

insert ad saying something along the lines of CAMBRIDGE SCIENTISTS HAVE UNLOCKED THE KEY TO <some superpower>

Levitating trains would put Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends out of business.

[QUOTE=seano12;45140384]Levitating trains would put Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends out of business.[/QUOTE] Be prepared for the hit new kids' show Thomas the Maglev engine, due to hit the scene in spring of 2020.

Maggy the Superconductive EM Emitting Super Train: Coming to a kids channel near you!

God damn forget the trains, hover boards incoming.

Having just done a 12 week project (I know it's not a whole lot, but I was filled in on the important points of the area) revolving around high Tc type-II cuprate superconductors with a post doc researcher who is doing a SECOND Ph.D I'm pretty certain from having read through this that this is indeed one of the most sensationalist headlines ever. They have certainly not 'unlocked the secret of superconductivity'. It's a step in the right direction for sure, but like every other bloody model that's come out of investigating type-II superconductors to date it's entirely phenomenological. This on its own isn't going to tell us how to build a superconductor with a critical temperature of superconductivity of some set value (or if it's even remotely possible to set an arbitrary figure on critical temperature and create a structure that will exhibit it). [editline]18th June 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=seano12;45140384]Levitating trains would put Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends out of business.[/QUOTE] Trains utilising superconductors aren't entirely practical right now because the magnetic fields generated during operation are great enough to kill you if you have a pacemaker or rely on any other kind of electronic implant in your body (and will wipe the hard drive of a laptop if you bring one on board). [URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maglev#Pros_and_cons_of_different_technologies[/URL]

-snip read post above-

[IMG]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rLVK6Qa8G6Y/TepMgQACeWI/AAAAAAAACEs/fu9dc9RKjMI/s1024/Civ4ScreenShot0000.JPG[/IMG] Yes, we finally researched Superconductors. Now we can further research Genetics!

Forgot to include the [URL="http://www.iflscience.com/chemistry/scientists-finally-unlock-secrets-behind-superconductivity"]Source[/URL]

Oh a science article, can't wait to have to look up half the words to understand anything. [quote]superconductivity tends to abrogate other properties[/quote] They're doing this on purpose aren't they.

[t]http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110924125321/bttf/images/1/1d/Mattel_Hoverboard.png[/t] i want to believe! we have 6 months to make it happen

[QUOTE=SamPerson123;45144362]Oh a science article, can't wait to have to look up half the words to understand anything. They're doing this on purpose aren't they.[/QUOTE] The only science word in that sentence was superconductivity, and if you don't know what that is then you won't understand the article anyway.