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| | | Frontiers explores new ideas in science, meeting the researchers who see the world through fresh eyes and challenge existing theories - as well as hearing from their critics. Many such developments create new ethical and moral questions and Frontiers is not afraid to consider these.
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|  | | | A demonstration of superconductivity |
Superconductivity
20 years ago, the discovery of materials that conduct electricity without loss at relatively high temperatures caused a revolution in physics.
A Nobel Prize went to the scientists who made the discovery and technological advances such as high speed levitating trains and super efficient power generators were promised.
Peter Evans finds out what happened once the excitement died down and asks if these high temperature superconductors are living up to expectations.
Peter travels to the University of Zurich to meet the scientists who started this revolution – Dr Georg Bednorz and Professor Alex Mueller.
They recall how they did the ground breaking work – on borrowed equipment and in the evenings. And they kept their results secret until they were absolutely sure they were correct. Their superconductor was a mixture of lanthanum, barium, copper and oxygen.
Peter also meets the scientists who've recognised the significance of superconductors and are working to develop energy-saving superconductors for use in electrical grids and mobile phone networks. | | |
RELATED LINKS
IBM Research
University of Houston
University of Southampton School of Electronics and Computer Science
University of Birmingham: Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering
American Superconductor
BBC News: The 'new age' of super materials
BBCi Science
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