Episode 7: The LK-99 superconductor, and other physics false dawns

If you were anywhere near social media at the start of August, you’ll have seen endless claims of a massive, world-changing breakthrough in physics: the LK-99 room-temperature superconductor.In this episode, Tom and Stuart—neither of them anything approaching a physicist, so caveat emptor—discuss what a superconductor is, why it would be exciting (or not) for it to work at room temperature, and ask why people online got so excited over claims that one had been discovered… when it actually hadn’t. The Studies Show is sponsored by the i, the UK’s best daily newspaper. You can find the latest deals—including a 50% off deal for digital subscriptions—at this link. Thanks to the i for their support!If you’re enjoying The Studies Show, then please consider becoming a subscriber. You can join as a free subscriber and get an email whenever we release an episode. If you join as a paid subscriber, you’ll be able to access some features like ask-me-anything chats with Tom and Stuart, and (soon) paid-only episodes. Either way, you can subscribe by typing your email address below:Show Notes* Video of the Meissner effect - the eerie levitation of superconducting materials* The initial LK-99 preprint on arXiv* Stuart’s article from the day LK-99 went viral* Statistical model that many thought proved LK-99 really was a room-temperature superconductor* Article in Nature News explaining why the LK-99 material might’ve seemed to have superconducting properties* Story on the retractions of work by another room-temperature superconductor researcher* Actually-exciting superconductor advance 1 (and replication); actually-exciting superconductor advance 2 (and replication)* Article on the Fleischmann & Pons “cold fusion” debacle* Story of the “faster-than-light neutrino” error* Plastic Fantastic, the book about the fraudulent semiconductor studies in the early 2000s* Article on “quantum computing’s reproducibility crisis” and the Majorana particleCreditsThe Studies Show is produced by Julian Mayers at Yada Yada Productions. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thestudiesshowpod.com/subscribe