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The substance produced from the paper isn't a superconductor. While extremely unlikely, there is still a chance that LK-99 is a superconductor, but the paper it
by gfodor 3y ago
The substance produced from the paper isn't a superconductor. While extremely unlikely, there is still a chance that LK-99 is a superconductor, but the paper itself did not sufficiently describe the method needed to make it so as to replicate it properly. We will know the resolution to this once the sample from the original researchers is assessed by a third party, of which there are presently at least two to my understanding doing this right now.
- gilgoomesh 3y agoThe German team produced a crystal of pure LK-99 and tested it. From the article: > LK-99 is not a superconductor, but an insulator with a resistance in the millions of ohms And furthermore, the graphs from the original pre-print article are just graphs of the resistivity of Cu2S. It sounds like there's nearly zero chance of any further science here (beyond confirmation).
- postalrat 3y agoA pure crystal of lk-99 is about as useful as a pure crystal of cake.
- ricardobeat 3y agoThe point is that the original team did not produce a pure crystal, and impurities can be the source of novel properties in a material - you’ll know it as “doping” in the semiconductor industry. Other comments from more informed people indicate it’s unlikely that this will yield anything useful though.
- fouc 3y agoSeems like there's a chance the preprint for LK-99 described the material wrongly, so it was not accurately replicated.
- gfodor 3y ago"A crystal of pure LK-99" is an oxymoron, LK-99, the physical substance in Korea, is not a pure crystal.
- seewhydee 3y agoThe thing is that there are now multiple independent lines of investigation pointing to LK-99 not being a superconductor, and explaining away the original "smoking guns" offered by the authors. It's like we have a murder suspect, the murder weapon, and fingerprints lifted from the scene. At this point it could still be space aliens, but nobody in their right mind would treat that possibility seriously.
- xtracto 3y agoYou almost described the reaction of the "tech bros" when the Reiser murder happened: The number of gymnastics some people went through to justify Hans' actions(removing a seat in his car, buying books about crime investigation, blood on the car, etc, etc.) was comical.
- seewhydee 3y agoIt stands to reason that someone who can create his own file system can't possibly be guilty of murder.
- gfodor 3y agoThese analogies aren't useful. Much of this process so far has relied upon a single point of failure not failing: that the paper contains the necessary information to replicate and describe the material. If that assumption is wrong, while some science will still remain valid, much of it would turn out to have been unindicative of the actual state of reality.
- sweezyjeezy 3y agoBut what about the alternative explanation for what the Korean team saw? Occam's razor is coming firmly down on one side here.
- gfodor 3y agoYeah the odds are extremely low but the case isn’t closed yet. There is ongoing analysis of the actual samples.
- sweezyjeezy 3y ago"So you're saying there's a chance?"... What you say is not incorrect, proving a negative here beyond all other possibility is hard. But I feel like for the lay person like me (us?), this matter should be considered resolved now. There's no point stretching hope and spending energy to follow it further.
- gfodor 3y agoIt’s resolved once William and Mary are done.