However, a theory about what might happen at the inaccessible temperature of absolute zero did not seem relevant to any conceivable experiment. Hertz promptly switched fields, although his 1976 paper was retained in the collective conscience of condensed-matter physicists, appearing as the final reprint in Philip Anderson's influential book Basic Notions of Condensed Matter Physics. Now all this is changing, and recent advances in materials science and experimental physics mean that Hertz's work is but the opening chapter of what is a highly active research field.
In the August issue of Physics World Andrew Schofield from Birmingham University in the UK describes how phase transitions that occur at absolute zero could provide the key to understanding many of the puzzling properties displayed by novel materials.