The levitating superconductor

[RhynoCZ]

Just watch the video: https://www.ted.com/talks/boaz_almog_levitates_a_superconductor

How can a super-thin 3-inch disk levitate something 70,000 times its own weight? In a riveting demonstration, Boaz Almog shows how a phenomenon known as quantum locking allows a superconductor disk to float over a magnetic rail — completely frictionlessly and with zero energy loss. Experiment: Prof. Guy Deutscher, Mishael Azoulay, Boaz Almog, of the High Tc Superconductivity Group, School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University.

EDIT: Just skip to 7:15 if you want to stay stupid.
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[Ben90]

Pretty amazing stuff. Didn't Japan build a badass looking maglev train which used similar principles and achieved a silly speed north of 500kph? That sounds like the most promising real world application so far.
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[RhynoCZ]

Oddly enough, this is not levitation. Look at how cold the disk was to work. The train is running on magnetic field in normal temperatures.

Watch the video from beginning to end.
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[el_oso]

I can weigh in here and add what I know.

A superconductor is a state where by electrical resistivity drops to 0. The exact reason behind this is still unkown/in debate. There are quite a few theories, with the most widely accepted and fundamental being Bardeen, Cooper, Schiefer theory (BSC).

Another property of superconductors being that they repel all magnetic field lines. It is this which allows the material to float in mid air with no friction, effecticvely balancing on the magnetic field
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[The Artist]

I prefer this guys explanation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ-cO8KutzI

The superconductor is locked in position. It isn't levitating like the Maglev trains or a magnet near another magnet.

[tbourner]

I think the most promising real world applications are the LHC and other supercolliders, and also tokomac Fusion reactors.
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