Probably the biggest (or at least buzziest) science news of the moment is the possibility of a room temperature superconductor. You may remember we went down this particular road a few years ago. At that time, superconductivity was achieved at not-quite-but-close-enough-to-room temperature but with radically impractical pressures. This time, the candidate material (LK-99) is a superconductor at warmer-than-room temperature and ambient pressure. The catch for the moment is some uncertainty about confirmation and … [Read more...] about Science Corner: There’s Science in Those Hills
superconductivity
Science Corner: Taking the Long View
Over the past couple of weeks, we've explored the question of just how long it takes to earn a Nobel prize (and the implications for representation). This week I want to take up a similar theme from a different angle. One of the big headlines recently was the announcement of a room temperature superconductor (a cool room, but within the range of normal HVAC). Superconductors transmit electricity with minimal resistance, which means little energy is lost to heat and efficiency is thus high. Superconductors can also be … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Taking the Long View