From Science.org (also a more layperson take on Tom's Hardware): "preprints appeared last week making the remarkable claim of a well-above-room-temperature superconducting material at ambient pressure, dubbed LK-99. This is one of the most sought-after goals in all of materials science and condensed matter physics, something that until now has only been found in (numerous!) science fiction stories". Why is this a big deal? Imagine a wire that doesn't get hot or lose energy regardless of how much electricity you put through it or how thin it is. Zero loss intercontinental electricity grids, quantum computers, maglev trains - it would be a revolution if LK-99 ends up being the real deal. According to two other research labs that have tried to re-produce the South Korean lab's LK-99 material in the last 24 hours, "this looks like it could be a really good superconductor".
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