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About this episode

Superconductivity by Dr. Bill Carter, American Superconductor Corp, November 12, 2009 - Ever heard of superconductivity? Neither have most people. Certain materials at very low temperatures can conduct massive amounts of electricity without loss. This property has been known for nearly 100 years with several Nobel Prizes won, but it has not yet entered everyday life. Dr Carter will explain what superconductivity is, what mysteries remain, what is currently being done to commercialize it, and what the future may hold. The recent discovery of high temperature superconductors has opened the possibility of exciting new advances in electricity generation, transmission and end use. Significant developments have been made toward the commercialization of superconductors, but technical challenges remain. James will explain many of the methods and technology leaps in the last 700 years to track time, from the simple shadow passing a line in the sand to quantum physics. Each gain in precision came with new challenges and required advances in technology to overcome. Lest you think we know all there is to know about time keeping today, rest assured that time keeping research is on-going. Bill Carter has spent his entire professional career working in the field of superconductivity. He graduated with a major in physics from Carleton College in 1976 and completed his PhD at Stanford University in 1983. After graduating, he worked at the Electronics Technology Division of the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, then joined the newly formed American Superconductor Corporation after the discovery of high temperature superconductors in 1986. At AMSC he has been involved in various research projects and in developing manufacturing processes for superconductors. He currently works in Product Development at the AMSC manufacturing plant in Devens.

• Release Date

  Nov 14, 2011

• Runtime

  01:42:47