What are the potential applications for superconductors?

Question

Could a superconducting antenna better absorb signals?

Answer 1

Superconductors don't lose any energy, when you send current down a conductor, the resistance causes energy to turn into heat.  So when you send power from a power plant to a house, it loses part of that energy.  A superconductor wouldn't.  

The coolest thing about superconductors though (imo) is the meissner effect, magnetic fields can't penetrate the superconductor, so a magnet will levitate above it no matter how much the magnet weighs.  So you can have a train levitate above a set of tracks if the train or tracks has superconducting material.  

The biggest difficulty with superconductors is that they only work at very cold temperatures (I think some work around 150 K now, -120 degrees celsius) and I think the materials used would be difficult to make a lot of the material for power lines or a track.  

Answer 2

Great uses for superconductors:

Medical devices like MRI/CT scans and such (already being used)

Transformers (already being sold)

Transmission lines (limited testing)

Potential uses

Energy storage

Heat sinks (electricity and heat work the same way)

Motors

Anywhere else you use electrical conductors

Current superconductors are either metals cooled to liquid H2 temperatures (like in medical devices).  Or they are ceramics colled to liquid N2 temp (like in transformers and transmission lines)

There is still work going on to create "high temperaure superconductors", meaning somewhere above liquid N2 temps, preferibly in the range of refrigeration or even room temp but nothing has really come of it.