On the surface it looks like a dullish gray rock, something you might scrape off your boot after a day of hiking. But the rock, known as LK-99, may hold the keys to a future barely imaginable today: the ability to transmit electrical power with no resistance at all.
Unfortunately, this little gray rock is sitting in a storm of controversy, with competing claims and counter-claims arguing about whether it has the magical properties necessary to make it a superconductor. While the superconducting nature of LK-99 seemed to be largely discredited last year, a new team of researchers just presented evidence that suggests it does fit the bill for a room-temperature superconductor, resurrecting the promise of this material.
Here’s a rundown of what LK-99 is, what it’s supposed to be, and why it matters.
Apparently, rumors of its demise were greatly exhagerated.
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