Simply getting the hot electrons over the barrier is not the end of the story.

ECONOMIST: Microrefrigeration

As galaxy clusters form, they create clouds of hot electrons.

ECONOMIST: Cosmology

When a suitable kick is applied, however, a stream of hot electrons does indeed flow from the metal to the superconductor, and the laws of physics are boringly preserved.

ECONOMIST: Microrefrigeration

In practice, only hot, high-energy electrons can do this.

ECONOMIST: Microrefrigeration

That is what happens when a computer gets too hot, or is bombarded with certain kinds of radiation: the electrons pick up enough energy to breach the dam that has been carefully constructed to contain them.

ECONOMIST: Babbage’s last laugh | The