LK99 might be the biggest science breakthrough in our lifetimes. Or the biggest hoax.
LK99 is about creating room-temperature superconductivity that could result in things that we’ve seen only in sci fi movies: from zero gravity vehicles to perfectly efficient electrical grids.
A recent claim from South Korea’s Quantum Energy Research Centre has set the scientific community ablaze. Let’s dive into the controversy surrounding this game-changing claim.
The researchers suggest that LK99, a compound of lead, copper, phosphorus and oxygen, superconducts at temperatures as high as 400K and ambient pressure – essentially, you can bake it, pop it out, and watch it conduct electricity without resistance.
However, doubts arise as lead apatite, the base material, is nonconducting. Moreover, heavy lead atoms should suppress the vibrations, making electron pairing – the heart of superconductivity – highly unlikely.
While skepticism abounds, this bold claim, if proven, can redefine our world.
For now, we can only watch as labs worldwide scramble to replicate these potentially ground-breaking experiments.
What are your thoughts? Do you think room-temperature superconductivity is within our grasp or just a pipe dream? How would such a breakthrough reshape your industry?
#lk99 #superconductors #labs #energy
Data: Science.org
