Space Metal

With all the anti-science, anti-advancement vibes “vibing” out there in 2017, I feel 2018 could have a turn around going back to those heady days of children’s books with all the cool cloud cities and robot maids. I have seen this in the media with excitement around the Falcon heavy launch (with roadster payload) and the jump in battery powered cars.

So let’s have a little break and look at a just one of the breakthroughs happening now, to get the imagination running! (When we know how to use the new tools, we can invent the new stuff! I feel any new advancement is a tool or solution even in our industry.)

Pokemon were always evolving their states into something cooler (a merchandisers dream)… well, now metal has come to the party (no not the musical genre – that’s always constantly evolving), but the element. Scientists have turned hydrogen into a new form, a metallic form. Yes, by applying huge pressure (4.95 million atmospheres of pressure) to two diamonds being squeezed together it created a new form of Hydrogen that reflects 90% of light shone on it (it starts out transparent, turns black and then metallic shiny). That’s kind of cool in itself – a new form that’s most likely never existed on Earth. The actual cool part is that physicists predict that this compound will be the most fully sick super conductor ever that will revolutionise energy storage.

If there is one thing we are struggling with, it is currently energy. If you feel it doesn’t really apply to you, go pick up your phone – how much battery charge is left?

Using cables and wires, we can transfer energy with no resistance (meaning no energy loss) – this and other factors make it perfect for gearing up our use of renewable energies. This semi conductor would also work at room temperature, which makes it even more handy.

Now imagine how a perfect super conductor magnet could work for our transport systems, magnetic trains and Hyperloops as well as super powerful rocket propulsion. It is almost sounding like the 60’s idea of the future finally coming along – jet packs and all!

With the right attitude the-sky-is-not-the-limit and creative minds are needed more than ever. This amazing advancement was actually dreamed up in 1935…