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Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by dsfsdfd on Monday July 13, 2015 @05:49AM (#9877160)
Perhaps it's a topological insulator, so that the bulk conducts but you'd never know it because the surface doesn't.

I'm a total noob, so if that is correct it's a miracle.

Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by morganvachon on Monday July 13, 2015 @07:14AM (#9877377)
The article touches on that:

"But this is no garden-variety insulator. Not only does its insulating behavior arise from strong correlations between its electrons, but in the past five years, mounting evidence has suggested that it is a “topological insulator” at low temperatures, a material that resists the flow of electricity through its three-dimensional bulk, while conducting electricity along its two-dimensional surfaces."

Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by kabouseng on Monday July 13, 2015 @07:35AM (#9877448)
All conductors only conduct along their surface...unless I'm mistaken.
Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by dalke on Monday July 13, 2015 @07:54AM (#9877508)
You are somewhat mistaken. You are thinking of the skin effect. In DC power, current flow is proportional to the cross section. As the frequency increases, the effective resistance in the interior increases relative to the surface. At high enough frequencies, conductors effectively conduct only along the surface.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_effect and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litz_wire .

Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by kabouseng on Monday July 13, 2015 @09:09AM (#9877839)
Thank you, looks like I was mistaken :D
Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by morganvachon on Monday July 13, 2015 @07:45AM (#9877480)
No, generally a thicker cable is a better conductor because its resistance is lower. If it were merely a matter of surface conductivity this wouldn't necessarily be true. However, internal conductivity and surface conductivity can be affected by magnetic fields:

http://faculty.wwu.edu/vawter/physicsnet/Topics/Gauss/IdealC...

Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by amelius on Monday July 13, 2015 @07:53AM (#9877505)
There is also a tendency for currents to creep towards the surface of the conductor at high frequencies, see [1], although this is ultimately also caused by internally generated electromagnetic fields.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_effect

Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by chriswarbo on Monday July 13, 2015 @12:47PM (#9879256)
For static charges, all of the charge on a conductor will be at its surface:

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/gausur.h...

That doesn't apply to moving charge though (ie. an electric current)

Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by techdragon on Monday July 13, 2015 @07:55AM (#9877511)
You may be thinking of the skin effect associated with alternating current systems. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_effect
Re:Paradoxical Crystal Baffles Physicists by gjm11 on Monday July 13, 2015 @09:17AM (#9877880)
"...And yet, SMB6 does not neatly fit that category either."