A little over a century ago, physicists discovered materials with the potential to perfectly
conduct electricity without any resistance; they’re what we call superconductors.
However, they required incredibly low temperatures to work.... and so, the hunt for one that
could operate at room temperature began, with the hopes of it ushering in a new era for
clean and abundant energy.
That hunt may have now, finally, reached its conclusion.
This is Unveiled, and today we’re answering the extraordinary question; did scientists
just discover the holy grail of physics?
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At the end of July, 2023, South Korean researchers claimed to have found the first-ever room-temperature
superconductor.
It captured international headlines, and with good reason.
If the claim turns out to be true, then it really could change the world.
Currently, as of writing, the paper at the heart of the story is still being peer-reviewed.
As such, it hasn’t been officially published and the result remains under question.
We’ll come back to this later, but for now let’s back up… because why could this
finding prove so important, to begin with?
Here are the basics.
Electricity arises from the flow of charged electrons through materials.
This effect is called the conduction of electricity.
Materials vary in how well they conduct, and there’s almost always resistance against
the flow of electrons.
This resistance arises from the inevitable collisions with ions and atoms within materials.
It then gives a key measure as to how effective (or ineffective) any one material will be.
At the same time, the movement of electrical charge also gives rise to magnetic fields
in conductors.
With electricity and magnetism being two elements of the same thing, called electromagnetism.
So, in short, we know that all conductors have resistance and a magnetic field… but
in 1911 the Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovered a variation that exhibits
neither.
When measuring the resistance of cryogenic mercury, he found that when kept incredibly
close to the temperature of absolute zero, the material suddenly lost all resistance.
This phenomenon was dubbed ‘superconductivity’, and ever since physicists have been enamored
by the concept of making it happen but, this time, at room temperature.
If that could be achieved then, theoretically, we should have an ultra-efficient means of
electricity.
It really could advance our civilization, all on its own.
Over the years, a great deal of effort has been made to better understand superconductors.
The earliest major discovery was of the Meissner effect, which is where a superconductor expels
its magnetic field.
Found in 1933, it gives the physical property of repelling any nearby magnets - thus causing
the levitation of superconductors in the presence of a magnet.
Superconducting magnets are, as a result, incredibly strong.
They’re made from coils of superconducting wire, but (until now, at least) they can only
operate at cryogenic temperatures, again close to absolute zero.
And this requirement means that it’s all very expensive.
Nevertheless, superconducting magnets today have numerous applications in technology,
for example in producing the stable magnetic fields needed for MRI machines in hospitals.
It figures, then, that if the cost of having to drastically cool these materials down was
no longer a factor, superconductors would become a ubiquitous component of almost all
aspects of modern technology.
These are amazing materials.
And, if they were cheap to get and maintain, it could be a massive development.
Firstly, they would revolutionize national grids worldwide, due to that elimination of
resistance.
In turn, this could allow us to transfer energy across larger distances than ever before,
potentially enabling us to do things like turn the Sahara desert into one giant solar
panel, for example.
Superconductors could be crucial in the fight against climate change, too, clearly providing
aid to reach net zero emissions worldwide.
More specifically, and due particularly to the Meissner effect, they could also make
trains fly!
Incorporating superconducting magnets into our public transport would allow for incredibly
cheap, high-speed transportation worldwide.
Trains without traditional tracks.
Superconductors should also significantly increase the efficiency of all-electric vehicles,
potentially making all fossil fuel-powered transport redundant, writing off gas cars
as slow and inefficient relics.
At present, at the top end, most transport methods suffer one major drawback; friction.
A train, car, or bus can only go so fast before its wheels will melt due to friction.
But, with this new technology, we could theoretically build superconducting highways and magnetize
the undercarriage of vehicles, instead, allowing you to travel hundreds of miles an hour without
friction and without combusting a drop of petrol.
This is still only scratching the surface of the power this technology could unlock
for us, however.
Room temperature superconductors would be so exceptionally strong and revolutionary,
it’s impossible to count all their potential applications.
Which, really, is why this breakthrough has been dubbed the holy grail of physics.
So, what exactly does the breakthrough entail?
Returning to the recent paper, submitted by a team at the Quantum Energy Research Center
in Seoul, on the 22nd of July 2023, it originally had just three authors.
It claimed that a specific material, LK-99, a modified crystal of lead-apatite, displayed
superconductivity at temperatures of up to 400 degrees Kelvin, or 260 Fahrenheit; 127
Celsius.
This is well above room temperature, and the paper claims that it can be made with basic
lab equipment in only a few days.
Naturally, then, quite a buzz has been stirred up, especially since South Korea already has
a reputation for carrying out some of the best material science worldwide.
That said, some scientists are urging caution, as well.
Immediately, teams all around the globe began trying to replicate the paper’s findings.
If it was truly as easy to make as claimed, then this should’ve posed no issue.
But, and again as of writing this video, there is no clear consensus on if it really is replicable.
Some labs have reportedly managed to get there, and some haven’t.
Arguably the most exciting follow-up comes from researchers at Huazhong University, in
China, who do claim to have replicated the results, ascertaining that LK-99 does indeed
exhibit the Meissner effect, and even releasing a video of it doing so.
Continued application of the scientific method is key, though.
Just supposed replication isn’t enough.
More broadly, we don’t yet understand the underlying physics and chemistry.
For example, there’s a chance that what we’re seeing isn’t superconductivity at
play; it could be due to exotic magnetism, or some other unknown effect.
According to reports, there are multiple other independent teams in the race for replication.
At least three have failed outright.
Another three claim partial success.
Results from the remainder are currently undeclared.
None of the independents have been peer-reviewed either, though, at the time of writing.
Meanwhile, other suspicions have been floated regarding the original paper, too.
Chiefly, it’s credited to three researchers, most of whom had essentially zero prior publications
and little to no signs of prior research.
The paper also appears to be quite hastily written, and a lot of scientists have questioned
the data.
Less than a week after the first paper’s publishing, a follow-up by the same team was
released, with one of the names on the initial paper excluded and four further contributing
authors added.
This has led to speculation online that the first paper may have been rushed out purely
with the Nobel Prize in mind - given that the Nobel Prize can only be shared between
three people maximum.
It may also hint at there being some kind of conflict between the team, with it also
reported that one member published the first paper without permission from the others.
If true, this could explain the seeming patchiness of the data.
Nevertheless, while there have been questions raised about the potential for scientific
fraud, many do remain optimistic that the findings, if they were rushed out, were done
so because those behind them are supremely confident in what they’ve found; truly room
temperature superconductors.
For now, we’ll sit back and wait to see exactly where this discovery goes.
It’s not actually the first time that claims like this have been made.
There are multiple examples of papers doing so in the past, and subsequently being disproved
and withdrawn.
That said, in the century or so since its discovery, we certainly have moved closer
to unlocking this holy grail of physics.
Will LK-99 prove to be the gem many think it is?
With the beauty of the scientific method leading the way, perhaps it will one day enable resistance-free
electricity and even levitating trains.
What do you think?
Is there anything we missed?
Let us know in the comments, check out these other clips from Unveiled, and make sure you
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