http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose-Einstein_condensation#Unusual_characteristics

so a while ago i saw this on NOVA and thought it was very interesting.

the condensate is a new form of matter. when i was in 5th grade we only had three forms of matter (that we were taught) and 9 planets.

now we have 5 forms of matter (solid, liquid, gas, plasma, and the bose einstein condensate) and 8 planets. and im only 18. when i start telling my grand children of the "9th planet" they will think im crazy and stupid. so i feel old.

anyway, the properties of the BEC are very interesting, it can pass through solid objects and (according to NOVA) climb up walls. i couldnt find anything about wall climbing matter on line.

so what are your thoughts on this? what possible uses can this have? and also, what are a few changes that you all believe are soon to come that will make me feel even older?

and also, if this state of matter occurs at near absolute zero temperatures, and it causes the matter to "pass through" its surroundings, then how the fuck could you contain it? and wouldnt the freezer also change its state? and, hypothetically, if you COULD chill a substance to COMPLETE absolute zero, would it be the same as it being a billionth of a degree above absolute zero or would something "special" happen? and are their any up and coming states of matter not yet to be proven but still interesting?

firstly i would like to say that i have only a very elementary understanding of this at best, and only saw something about on a documentary called "the science of cold" or something like that


btw, i could be wrong,but if i recall, it didnt go through substances, but it just climbs over the edge of the dish it was in because it didnt have any surface tension

although it is difficult to maintain the low temperature, i reckon it could be used as a special kind of radioactive tracer material, though i cant think of any application where it can do something a regular isotope cant