What’s So Super About Superconductivity
Superconductors are materials that can transfer electricity without losing energy in the process. This could dramatically cut the world's dependence on fossil fuels and enable us to do more with less energy.
What are the benefits of superconductors?
Superconductors could be used to create long-distance cables that carry solar power, wireless superfast pads that charge electric cars as they drive, smaller and more efficient wind turbines, and nuclear fusion reactors.
What is the challenge?
Superconductors only work at extremely cold temperatures. However, two teams recently claimed to have found the secret to room-temperature superconductors. Both claims were quickly debunked, but superconductivity is still at the forefront of scientific progress.
How are superconductors being used today?
Superconductivity is used in the Large Hadron Collider to smash atoms together without interference. It is also used in superconducting electromagnets, which are required to act as an invisible "bottle" to contain the 15,000,000°C soup of protons and neutrons at the heart of nuclear fusion.
What is the future of superconductivity?
Superconductivity has the potential to revolutionize the energy industry and enable new technologies that were once thought to be impossible. In the future, superconductors could be used to create a world that is powered by clean, renewable energy.