The Discovery of Superconductivity (2010)

[ThrowawayTestr]

Superconductivity is like anti-matter in that it really does like science fiction when you first hear about it.

[segfaultbuserr]

Knowing superconductivity makes magnets less mysterious. Once you accept that physics absolutely allows the creation of a static magnetic field from a circulating current that flows forever in a zero-resistance inductor coil, then the existence of ferromagnetism is no stranger than that - to a first approximation, it also comes from circulating currents, "just" on a subatomic scale. [1] It's kind of surprising that the Atomic Current Hypothesis of ferromagnetism was already proposed by Ampere back then. Following the same heuristics, the fact also becomes clear that the energy in an inductor coil can't really be "spent" to do useful work forever without de-energizing it, and the same is true for permanent magnets. [2]

[1] https://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/II_36.html

[2] This intuition debunks many types of incorrect "infinite energy of magnets" ideas that lead to perpetual motion. Although it can't debunk the "perpetual motion solely from an uneven static (electromagnetic or gravitational) field" idea, which is even older.

[eternauta3k]

I wonder what discoveries are taking place now which will give people in 100 years the chills to read about.

[freeqaz]

Transformer models perhaps?

[pie420]

VR porn