Now this is my type of superconductor !

[D Tibbets]

Another possible room temperature superconductor.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-200 ... =mncol;txt

Dan Tibbets

[nogo]

The material isn't normally superconductive, but can be after immersion in an alcoholic beverage

Alcohol enhances pair formation! (j/k)


The paper is about a mechanism for ion implantation (doping), likely oxigen implantation, by soaking the material in booze and heating it. Apparently some of the components other than water and alcohol are acting as catalysts.

[Giorgio]

Another possible room temperature superconductor.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-200 ... =mncol;txt

Dan Tibbets

Apart from te obvious jokes that this discovery can bring, I think this is darn interesting.

[nogo]

Another possible room temperature superconductor.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-200 ... =mncol;txt

Dan Tibbets

Apart from te obvious jokes that this discovery can bring, I think this is darn interesting.

What it is not, however, is a room-temperature semiconductor. Unless your room happens to be at 7.8 Kelvin degrees :p

The heat is used to prepare the samples, not during superconductivity operation, which seems to have a critical temperature of about 10 K.

[happyjack27]

while certainly an excellent location for an after party, the cryogenics lab is generally not a good place to leave your drink. though you can be almost certain of one thing: you'll never run out of ice.

be sure to clean up thoroughly in the morning, and TRY to put up everything back in the same place!

[Nik]

Uh, I remember when some-one left the liquid air tap open. It overflowed their big dewar, ran across the floor and poured down the stair-well.

By the time they noticed, the tap was frosted up and would not close...

[D Tibbets]

while certainly an excellent location for an after party, the cryogenics lab is generally not a good place to leave your drink. though you can be almost certain of one thing: you'll never run out of ice...

Actually, liquid nitrogen is excellent for quickly cooling your beverage.

[Insert appropriate safety warnings here]

Dan Tibbets

[ladajo]

Lots of LN2 memories flooding back in here.
Exploding Dewars (never agitate when the lid retainers are loose), coke cans with the top cut off-filled up with LN2 and dropped in the harbour (little mushroom cloud generators), watching from the top in stunned curious horror as a full Dewar free falled 30ft down an access - and wondering what my buddy at the bottom was thinking before he fled. Flash freezing everything you can get your mitts on, and then experimenting with various kenetic energy xfer methods.

Another period of my life I sometimes wonder how I lived through.

[MSimon]

Lighting a cheap cigar after immersion in LO2 is a source of great amusement.

[ladajo]

Nope, haven't tried that one, but I do see the utility.

[chrismb]

Try lighting your bbq with LOX.

...I think, as an experiment, it falls somewhat short of 'successful':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sab2Ltm1WcM

[ladajo]

Like beating on a primer with a hammer.