Technology

If you want to see all the conflicting findings and by-the-minute updates, this post is great: https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/claims-of-room-temperature-and-ambient-pressure-superconductor.1106083/page-11?post=94266395

I'm very much not an expert, but my read of this is: most replication efforts have mostly failed when it comes to making a working room temp superconductor (meaning conducts electricity with no resistance). However, groups are increasingly seeing some of the other characteristics expected from superconductors, and it appears that the failures might just be caused by using an unrefined technique.

So time will tell, but this is probably a big advance, but not itself a world changer just yet.

Although it is worth noting that one of these attempts is just in computer simulation.

The Berkeley lab hasn't confirmed their results against a physical sample.

Heres my analysis of what all has actually happened from a similar post with this article yesterday

From reading through the article and it's sources, here's what seems to be the case:

• a simulation at Berkely National Labs with their supercomputing capabilities has verified that LK-99 theoretically has superconducting properties

• Argonne National Labs also seems to be involved and doing stuff, but nothing official from them yet, besides maybe helping with simulation stuff

• a Russian scientist is working on improving the synthesis process and has made some low purity samples that produce the Messnier effect, but higher purity than the original I think. It's all from Twitter (x) threads and a little hard to follow. Her handle is @iris_IGB

• China National Lab (Shenyang) first principles analysis suggest gold and silver doping LK-99 will make superconductors as well. [Directly copied from article]

• Under the guidance of Professor Chang Haixin, postdoctoral Wu Hao and doctoral student Yang Li of the School of Materials Science and Technology of Huazhong University of Science and Technology they have successfully verified and synthesized the LK-99 crystal. It can be magnetically levitated for the first time and this is shown on a bilibili video. They expect to realize the true sense of non-contact superconducting magnetic levitation. [Also Directly copied from article]

Direct source for last 2 points and also more info in general

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2023/07/tracking-lk-99-superconductor-replication-efforts.html

I would give LK-99 a 95 percent chance of either being a true rook temperature superconductor or directly leading to the discovery of a true rook temp superconductor in the next few years.

A few caveats however: according to the simulation, the conductive pathways only forms when the copper bonds to a specific higher-energy spot in the crystal, so getting higher purities will likely need a fair amount of innovation on the production process. There are some other complications with the synthesis, so even if it is fully and properly confirmed with more papers and such it will still likely be a while before it can start to be used effectively.

I swear I saw the opposite headline less than 12 hours ago.

A practical superconductor is a huge deal, it would drastically change the way we deal with electrical power distribution and electromechanical applications. So any development is going to be big news. Though we're not talking about an actual working conductor, it's just excitement over research advancement, yeah? I've seen this kind of "big news" before in other tech sectors and time often proves it unworthy. If it does present a big step toward a practical superconductor that's great, but I wouldn't count any eggs yet.

This is unexpected.

Where were you, the day that everything changed? This is likely it, folks. If this pans out, it'll be jetpacks and mimosas on the Moon, Jetsons' style. Holy shit. We thought the computer age was something, this is going to be Something Else

So a supercomputer simulation and a video from a team in China...

I'm no more skeptical but I'm certainly not sold yet.

This seems promising, I can't wait for my guy to eat his shorts.

https://lemm.ee/comment/1541864

Hitch your tits and pucker up. We’re entering a new age of industry. Much like the original Industrial Revolution, technology is going to advance at an extremely rapid pace. Fusion, quantum computing supremacy. Just… wow. How far off is general AI with this new room temperature superconductor?

It's wild 😵‍💫