superconductivity
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Scientists map high-temp superconductivity in 3D for the first time
High-temperature superconductivity represents a potential breakthrough across multiple fields of technology, from MRIs to levitating trains, hoverboards and computing. Scientists at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have discovered the first 3D model of the elements involved in high-temperature superconductivity, uncovered using powerful magnetic pulses and "some of the brightest X-rays on the planet," according to a press release. Superconductivity is a quantum mechanical phenomenon that occurs in certain materials when they're cooled to extreme temperatures, at which point they conduct zero electrical resistance and expel their magnetic fields. If humans can harness superconductivity at room temperature, the technology could take off in a massive way (Did someone say singularity?).
Japanese doctor turns hot toddy into superconductor catalyst
It's rare that hot booze does anything more than get you drunk, and possibly make you sick, but according to Dr. Yoshihiko Takano, the drink you're sucking on could facilitate the levitation of a train. After a party for a colleague, the Japanese scientist found that FeTe0.8S0.2 (composed of iron, tellurium, and tellurium sulfide), when soaked in warm booze overnight, shows signs of increased superconductivity -- another in a long line of liquor-enhanced discoveries that could have far reaching effects on everything from consumer electronics to public transportation. Dr. Takano decided to test the material (known to become a superconductor after soaking in water) in the leftover alcohol from the party: beer, red wine, white wine, sake, shochu, and whiskey. As it turns out, red wine has the highest superconducting volume fraction at 62.4 percent -- nearly four times higher than the ethanol-water control samples. Dr. Takano and his colleagues speculate that the ease with which wine and beer oxidize could be play a key role in the increase in superconductivity. We speculate that even a superconductor gets a little hopped up after soaking in a bottle of wine.
