Photo: Magnetic Trains, Cheap Power Brought to You by Superwires?

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A poster photographed in 2003 advertises the world's first commercial magnetic levitation (maglev) train. The ultrafast train made its public debut in Shanghai, China, in 2004 and can reach top speeds of about 270 miles an hour (430 kilometers an hour).

A recent breakthrough in high temperature superconductors could make futuristic technology such as maglev trains and ultra-efficient power grids more widespread.

Photograph © James Leynse/Corbis

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