The science is very open

Science is working – and he’s very open to new lateral thinking ideas. This is proved by the ring around the alleged LK-99 superconductor.

It was very nice! A nondescript document uploaded to a physics insiders web server has rocked the scientific world. Korean researchers claimed on July 22 that they had discovered a room-temperature superconductor — a material said to conduct electricity without resistance at normal temperature and pressure. was calledLK-99Such material has been sought all over the world for many years.

If this works, it will be the beginning of a technological revolution: electricity can be connected and stored without loss, and massive magnetic fields can be generated without much effort — for hospital MRI machines, magnetic levitation trains and much more. Unfortunately, it turns out that the material probably doesn’t live up to the promises made by its inventors. However, it is very interesting. You can witness in real time how up-to-date Science works — and that she’s very open and generous with crazy new ideas, even if the opposite is true.

➤ READ MORE: Superconductor Breakthrough: Lead leads to basement lab in Seoul

Legitimate suspicions from the start

doubt It was there from the start: after all, the claim sounded too good to be true—and it was only a preliminary report. Scientific findings can only be taken seriously when they have been carefully examined by other independent persons and then in one person Scientific journal have been published.

Also, some things about this initial report seemed a bit suspicious: the outlines looked unusual, the text seemed to have been written in haste, and important details one would expect in a compelling document were missing. That’s weird – when you have a file potentially devastating outcome It must be announced, and then it must be presented as precisely and purely as possible.

Overtime rather than mockery

What was the reaction of the physical circles to this? Have the authors been denounced as enemies of pure science for their unorthodox claims? no! Were they derided as unscientific and implausible dissidents? no! Although almost all of the science community initially thought there was a very good chance of a mistake, it did happen. Taken very seriously and vetted with great diligence.

Research groups around the world paused their previous work, worked overtime, and within a few days tried the new material, LK-99. imitate and measure. Others have developed computer simulations and attempted to calculate material properties on supercomputers. At first, there were already promising indications that this new material had very special properties, but A There was no convincing evidence of superconducting properties.

➤ READ MORE: How will the LK-99 superconductor breakthrough change the world?

Science is not dogmatic

This is unfortunate, but it still gives cause for optimism. First, the science works. When smart people around the world work together, when everyone uses their different skills to collectively answer an important question, then in a very short time, Huge amount of new knowledge arise.

And secondly, we see here: when lateral thinkers and scientific critics accuse science of being dogmatic, stubborn and intolerant, of clinging to old beliefs and not accepting new ideas, it is simply wrong. Even with very bizarre results, you’ll be taken seriously – if you base your results on one of them Presented in an understandable and verifiable manner.

With all the necessary suspicion, but also with all necessary seriousness, the matter was dealt with Check it out rationally. This is how it should be, this is how we should do it in the future. Then we, as humanity, will make many great discoveries together – even if we have to wait for the long-awaited room-temperature superconductor, at least for the time being.