A recent preprint appearing on the arxiv:
Do superconductors violate Lenz's law? Authors: J.E. HirschWhen a magnetic field is turned on, a superconducting body acquires an angular momentum in direction opposite to the applied field. This gyromagnetic effect has been established experimentally and is understood theoretically. However, the corresponding situation when a superconductor is cooled in a pre-existent field has not been examined. We argue that the conventional theory of superconductivity does not allow a prediction for the outcome of that experiment that does not violate fundamental laws of physics, in particular Lenz's law. Instead, an unconventional theory of superconductivity predicts an outcome consistent with the laws of physics, through the creation of angular momentum. We discuss how to test these assertions experimentally.
Comments: Readers are invited to place a wager on the outcome of the proposed experiment, this http URL
This is the same Hirsch who created the utterly asinine h-index (which he presumably named after himself) to characterize scientific productivity.
At this point, my first inclination when I see a paper by him is to not trust its scientific worth.
Posted by: Mason | August 24, 2006 11:05 PM