Levitation becomes possible using superconducting materials In 1987 Ronald Reagan declared that the US was about to enter an incredible new era of technology.Levitating high-speed trains, super-efficient energy generators and ultra-powerful supercomputers would become commonplace thanks to a new breed of materials known as high temperature superconductors (HTSC). "The breakthroughs in superconductivity bring us to the threshold of a new age," said Reagan. "It's our task to herald in that new age with a rush." But 20 years on, the new world does not seem to have arrived. So, what happened? Early promise Superconductivity was first discovered in 1911...