Comments | bobicus: braaaaaaains!

bobicus

braaaaaaains!

Nov 21, 2006 01:29

As getting a PhD here requires me to obtain a minor in some outside field along the way, I think I should go for Inappropriate Sleep Practices. Given my background and current investigations, I think this represents quite the tidy fit. Yea, or nay? What say you ( Read more... )

Comments 5

deviousdm November 21 2006, 16:13:36 UTC

I used to do superconducting levitation of the neodymium magnet but it required LiN2 which is not easy to get with our schedules. So, I kinda let it go. It works best when we're studying electromagnetism. The PhD looks like fun. You gotta tell us all about it at the Xmas Break.

I can solve that problem... krotech November 25 2006, 04:08:55 UTC

I can get you LN2 with pretty much no problem. Two days' notice would be nice though. Let me know when.

I don't do the levitation demo, because the material involved is a metal-based ceramic and it's not a compound type I talk about. The field effect isn't a hot topic of conversation for sophomores either.

I remember when Chu (I think it was Chu) was just starting to figure out LN2-range "hi temperature" superconductors down at U of Houston in the late 80s. A friend of mine at JJ Pearce was on a physics demo/outreach team and they got a hold of a disk of the stuff our senior year, for a couple of hundred dollars. He said it was really cool. I think it'd be cooler if you could see the levitation effect take hold as you poured the LN2, but I don't know how to do that and get rid of all the fog. A really good fan, maybe, if you don't blow the magnet off once it lifts...

KRO

alruthebold November 21 2006, 18:37:59 UTC

Superconducting Levitation may be....pretty much the coolest demo title ever.

alruthebold November 21 2006, 18:38:20 UTC

edit: I have no idea what my winter plans are yet :(

powpowparn November 25 2006, 11:36:06 UTC

Speaking of superconduction levitation, I was reading my "Physics of Superheroes" book, specifically, the part about Magneto levitating, and they talked about this very thing. The also mentioned this site which has some nifty videos of them floating random objects, like frogs and balls of water: http://www.hfml.ru.nl/levitate.html Check it out!

In other news, I'll be back home in Dallas from December 12th to December 29th. After that, I'm going back and starting another quarter of rotations! woo! Congrats on finding your thesis project/advisor!