The Material That Will Spark A Tech Revolution
Superconductors are the type of technology that look like magic! They can levitate objects, make computers work in mind-bending ways and help us peer inside our bodies in unprecedented detail (MRI). But a new superconductor has come along that may herald even more unbelievable technology that was unthinkable only a few years ago.
So what makes superconductors so unique? And why is this new one so special?
A superconductor is a material with zero electrical resistance. This property is far more impressive than it sounds! To explain, I first need to re-cap what electrical resistance is.
Have you ever felt your phone, a computer or a lightbulb heat up? This is because the metals these circuits are made out of have electrical resistance. As the electrons pass through the metal wires, they ‘bump’ into the metal’s atoms, imparting a bit of their kinetic energy, making the material heat up. So some of the electrical energy is always being lost to heat, and in the process, the electrons lose speed making electrical resistance.
But superconductors are different. Their molecules are locked together in a latticework that give free…
