
Physicists discover flaws in superconductor theory - dnetesn
http://phys.org/news/2016-04-physicists-flaws-superconductor-theory.html
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Natanael_L
Their source:
[http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jap/119/13/10.1...](http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/jap/119/13/10.1063/1.4945018)

Looks like this will lead to new physics discoveries? And better electric
engines?

Does anybody think this could extend to antennas too?

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snarfy
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconducting_magnet#Persist...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superconducting_magnet#Persistent_mode)

> An alternate operating mode, once the magnet has been energized, is to
> short-circuit the windings with a piece of superconductor. The windings
> become a closed superconducting loop, the power supply can be turned off,
> and persistent currents will flow for months, preserving the magnetic field.

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ape4
It would be interesting to imagine a society without magnets. We could use
steam engines to pump water. Fiber optic light pipes for some home lighting.
Gas stoves for cooking.

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thomasahle
There are many ways of generating electricity without magnetic induction:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_generation#Methods...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_generation#Methods_of_generating_electricity)

Batteries was (iirc) the typical way it was done before Faraday.

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mrfusion
Motors would be harder though.

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mrfusion
This could also have applications for cheaper and smaller fusion reactors? And
particle accelerators.

(And I'm guessing they meant MRI instead of X-ray in that last paragraph)

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donquichotte
Agreed, it's probably MRI. There's more strange things going on in this
article. While "In a way, they [superconductors] are the opposite of toasters"
made me giggle a little, "Without magnets, we'd lack generators [electric
lights and toasters], motors [municipal water supplies, ship engines],
magnetrons [microwave ovens], and much more" made me cringe. Electric lights
and toasters are pretty much unrelated to generators and I've yet to see an
electric engine on a commercial ship. I wonder whether the author of the
article put the examples there, I doubt that Prof. Weinstein did.

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maho
Electric light and toasters run on electricity "generated" by the generator.

A lot of ships have electric engines. On cruise ships, diesel electric
propulsion offers quieter and smoother rides. Some air-craft carriers and
submarines have nuclear-electric propulsion systems.

The article made me cringe, too, but mainly because it created a false
impression on how big magnets are really energized. I've done it a few times
(always with the same magnet, which keeps quenching...), and described the
process here:

[http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/69222/](http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/69222/)

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extrapickles
Diesel electric propulsion is quietly taking over most large mobile
applications. Even cars are slowly going gasoline-electric. Better magnetics
would only speed up the switch.

Of ships it has what you stated, and you no longer have to build the engine on
a incline to drive the propeller or have complex transmissions. Other benefits
are you can have 2 engines and only run 1 during calm weather cruse. Also
electric motors are able to be mounted in stearable pods, greatly increasing
maneuverability of a ship (need fewer tugs to go into port). Some ships have
nothing but the pods for good station keeping.

Multiple locomotive trains only need 1 engine, but run power to several for
extra traction, and it enables things like traction control that can't be
cheaply done mechanically.

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AnkhMorporkian
> "The most encouraging is that we can now produce full-strength TFMs with a
> pulse strength 1.0 times that of the TFM," he added.

I have to assume that's a typo, right?

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Sniffnoy
No, why would it be? Previously, pulse strengths 2-3.2 times as strong as the
TFM were required, and they're trying to bring it down, so this is a good
result. It's a weird way of phrasing it, but I assume that's for emphasis.

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_AllisonMobley
I think this article is saying I should build an iron man suit.

