[Fireone]

Slightly confused here.... aren’t insulators used to separate conductors? What good is a material that conducts, as an insulator?

[TexasGator]

“Slightly confused here.... aren’t insulators used to separate conductors? What good is a material that conducts, as an insulator?”

“It goes far beyond what ordinary matter can do”

[ShadowAce]

Yeah--that's what they're trying to say--that this new state of matter does both at the same time.

Not sure how, myself. They seem opposite properties to me.

[TexasGator]

“Slightly confused here.... aren’t insulators used to separate conductors? What good is a material that conducts, as an insulator?”

Think of a switch. When off, the air insulates the lightbulb from the voltage.

When on, it conducts.

Now think of semi-conductors. Normally insulates but with an applied voltage, become ‘switch on’.

Now think of a ‘wire’ that is an insulator that when pressure is applied becomes ‘switched on’.

Only now that ‘wire’ is a superconducting wire!