The Era of Discovery

Abstract

Superconductivity was the kind of unexpected discovery that scientists dream of all their lives. No one was looking for it, but the first person who even had a chance at finding it, did. No flash of insight or stroke of genius was needed. Instead the discovery required many years of hard work and tremendous progress in cryogenics, the science of refrigeration. As we will see, the early history of superconductivity and the history of cryogenics are inexorably intertwined.