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Room temperature superconductor breakthrough is hokum.

by on09 August 2023


Data has spoken

Stocks related to new superconductors claimed recently by South Korean boffins have undergone a tumultuous ride after unlikely claims that they had invented a room-temperature superconductor.

According to the Korea Exchange, stocks related to superconductors surged by more than 20 per cent on the back of the news and then plummeted close to the lower limit in the afternoon.

The extreme swings began shortly after research results were announced in late July by a joint team from Hanyang University and the Quantum Energy Research Center, which claimed the discovery of a superconductor that works at room temperature, named LK-99.

All that was disproved by the Condensed Matter Theory Centre (CMTC) at the University of Maryland  who noted that LK99 was NOT a superconductor, not even at room temperatures (or at very low temperatures),” calling it “a highly resistive, poor quality material.”

The message added that there is “no point in fighting with the truth. Data has spoken.”

Kim Hyun-tak, a research professor at William & Mary University who was involved in the claimed discovery of LK-99, stated in an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper that he believes LK-99 was a new material demonstrating superconducting characteristics, although he noted that more time was needed.

“Since the scientific community itself has not yet fully grasped its exact nature, I hope the attention on this new material continues for the necessary time,” Kim said.

Last modified on 09 August 2023
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