Ever since the discovery in 1911 by the Dutch scientist H. K. Onnes that mercury loses its electrical resistance when cooled to near absolute zero (－ 273 ℃), scientists from all over the world have been trying to discover materials that superconduct at higher temperatures.
溫度大競賽無電阻和反磁是超導體的兩大特性。利用超導材料製成的電纜，能將電力輸送到遠處，而不會有目前百分之五到十的電阻損耗。