Kamerlingh Onnes: the resistance collapse of mercury

What changed

Physics gained evidence for a new zero-resistance low-temperature regime.

Scientific scope

The 1911 resistivity observation only; later persistence tests, microscopic explanation and other superconductors are excluded.

Evidence

The linked sources identify this contribution and its scope. WRS has not independently reconstructed the scientific claims. This is the 1911 resistivity observation; later persistent-current experiments, microscopic explanation and high-temperature superconductors are separate.

Contributors

• Heike Kamerlingh Onnes · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.

• Leiden cold laboratory history: Kamerlingh Onnes and superconductivity

Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-16.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.

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