Computer-generated image of a superconductor [SHUTTERSTOCK]
A group of Korean scientists behind a viral claim about superconductivity that swept social media and the stock market last year have once again come up with a new compound that they insist is the world's first to reach room temperature. Superconductor to ambient pressure. Shellfish have so far been met with skepticism from the scientific community.
The claims were made by Kim Hyun Tak, a physics professor at the College of William and Mary, during a presentation Monday at the American Physical Society. interview Held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Kim, along with four co-authors, including Lee Seok-bae, CEO of the Quantum Energy Research Center (QERC) — who has been a central figure in the superconductor claim — claimed to have synthesized a new material, dubbed PCPOSOS, that exhibits superconducting behavior. . At room temperature and atmospheric pressure.
Kim did not provide an actual sample during the meeting.
Kim explained that PCPOSOS showed partial levitation when placed on a magnet, one of the outstanding properties of superconductivity, as well as zero resistance, and further claimed that the results have been replicated by other research teams.
Kim added that his team will publish a manuscript explaining how to manufacture the material to detail the formula on the preprint site arXiv.
However, some fellow scientists were quick to refute the claim on social media, saying that the latest results remained broadly similar to the claim previously debunked last year and that the data presented by the team lacked scientific evidence of actual superconductivity.
The debut of PCPOSOS follows the group's previous study last summer that showed that LK-99, a compound of lead, copper, phosphorus and oxygen, exhibited superconductivity.
These claims caused a sensation in academia and in cyberspace, even causing some superconductor-related stocks to rise in the market, but they were quickly debunked by scientists and global research institutes.
Kang Suk-il, a professor of physics at Jeonbuk National University, said the latest research “seems to remain mostly the same from the previous study without significant updating,” and that he believes the claims “have not yet been proven to be trustworthy, especially since the physical sample did not appear during the study.” the offer.
The Korean Society for Superconductivity and Cryogenics launched a research team in August to verify claims of superconductivity and concluded on December 13 that there was “no evidence at all to prove it.” [LK-99] It is a superconductor under pressure at room temperature and ambient pressure.
Korean investors flocked to buy superconductor-related stocks ahead of Kim's presentation during the APS meeting, briefly sending Shinsung Delta Tech's stock price to 137,900 won ($104) in midday trading on Monday, up 12.11% from the day. Previous trading. Before closing at 123,300 won.
Shinsung Delta Tech shares fell on Tuesday, following the announcement, closing at 150,100 won, a decline of 14.79%.
Kosdaq-listed Shinsung Delta Tech was considered a superconductor-themed stock alongside Power Logics as the companies invested in a venture company that holds a stake in QERC.
A superconductor at room temperature and ambient pressure has long been a holy grail in science and technology circles, as an electric current can theoretically pass through it without losing energy. If created, they could fundamentally change every aspect of electricity, from transportation to power generation, dramatically enhancing its efficiency.
By Shin Ha Ni [[email protected]]
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