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Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

arxiv.org

101–110 of 1001 posts

Re: Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

#101
post #59

On a completely different front, let's say the paper completely checks out and they have discovered this miracle. How strong are the patent protections on materials science? For example, if someone could replicate the effect with lead + gold, would that be considered a novel material which would not be subject to licensing? Is it the material itself or the method of production?

I'm sure it depends on jurisdiction, but in the US, you can't patent a material, only a method to make it. If I recall correctly, their patent for method covered a wide range of constituent elements, but left off gold. I would feel pretty bad for them if they genuinely discovered an RTP superconductor but that omission prevents them from becoming billionaires. But more likely the issue is that their current method ha…

Maybe success in life and science isn't about becoming a billionaire?

Even so - if this works out, their prizes and paid speaking gigs will cover a very comfortable life if that's what they want. I'm not sure why they should be entitled to more than that.

Re: Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

#102
post #92

So far lab replication efforts are: Two from HUST: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV14p4y1V7kS/ https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV13k4y1G7i1/ One by USTC https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ex4y1X7ix/ this tiny sample can stand on its pointy side. One by Qufu Normal University https://www.zhihu.com/zvideo/1669820225079070720 One with THU background but claims a personal project https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV14z4y1s7V…

> Why are't more labs outside China making LK-99 and publish videos?

some possibilities:

- they have not been able to conclusively replicate anything and don't want to publish a negative result for fear of someone else publishing a conclusive positive result later.

- they are more careful to publish something that they are not (yet?) 100% sure about

- they don't care so much about the whole 'science in the spotlight' thing and prefer to go the traditional route of publishing after peer review of one or more papers rather than to make YT videos and having to fend off a barrage of interaction

- fear of getting it wrong.

Re: Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

#103
post #6

Seems to be the same one that had a video a couple of days ago https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36953396 Back then, many asked if this was superconduction or merely diamagnetism. Does the new paper shine any light on this question?

They have quantitative magnetization-versus-temperature data taken using a PPMS (an automated physical property measurement system). It shows strong evidence of some kind of diamagnetic transition at ~ 320K. It seems very likely now that this material has some kind of interesting magnetic property, whether or not it's due to superconductivity.

Re: Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

#105
post #84

On a completely different front, let's say the paper completely checks out and they have discovered this miracle. How strong are the patent protections on materials science? For example, if someone could replicate the effect with lead + gold, would that be considered a novel material which would not be subject to licensing? Is it the material itself or the method of production?

I hope they're as weak as possible. The worst possible outcome of a room temp superconductor being discovered is stifling innovation to make money off it

I'm generally anti-patent, but if there were any valid case for patents, this is it. Long, hard labor to discover something entirely new that has massive uses for society.

I'd rest my hopes on them not being dicks about it, not on them not getting benefit from it.

Re: Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

#106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Im posting this reply from my mainstream smartphone: a pocket supercomputer with a 4K 60Hz HDR video camera. I’m chock full of designer vaccines and can watch a catalog of almost all the movies ever made on demand tonight. I listened to an podcast in my EV on the way to work. And SpaceX probably launched 60 satellites this week on the 14th flight of a rocket that flew home afterwards. Things have been moving along. e…

>can watch a catalog of almost all the movies ever made on demand tonight. You must have one hell of a different streaming services experience from that of most people today if you can pull this off without engaging in a fair bit of torrenting and general piracy.

Yeah, regular consumer streaming might cover "movies still popular enough but not so new that they're only in theaters." However "all the movies ever made" is a significantly higher bar.

Some examples: https://www.yardbarker.com/entertainment/articles/popular_mo...

Re: Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

#107
post #89

Noob question. Does this breakthrough also translate to advancements in quantum computing? Can we expect quantum computers with far more qbits?

Nope. Quantum computing requires low temperatures not because of resistance but to maintain coherence.

A room temperature superconductor would, by definition, maintain quantum coherence (of the superconducting order parameter) at room temperature.

Re: Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

#108
post #88
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> in the US, you can't patent a material I'm no patent lawyer, but there is literally a US patent-office category covering "material" for exactly this kind of invention. Section 505 - "Superconductor Technology: Apparatus, Material, Process". > This is the generic class for subject matter involving (a) superconductor technology above 30 K and (b) Art collections involving superconductor technology. Apparatus, devices…

Yeah, apparently wrong. Not a lawyer, obviously, recovering physicist/current SWE.

I have been SWE for 30 years. My youngest is off to college and I immediately enrolled in a masters program, apparently because I want to understand QFT which no amount of my own reading without doing much homework has enabled.

Re: Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

#109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Im posting this reply from my mainstream smartphone: a pocket supercomputer with a 4K 60Hz HDR video camera. I’m chock full of designer vaccines and can watch a catalog of almost all the movies ever made on demand tonight. I listened to an podcast in my EV on the way to work. And SpaceX probably launched 60 satellites this week on the 14th flight of a rocket that flew home afterwards. Things have been moving along. e…

>can watch a catalog of almost all the movies ever made on demand tonight. You must have one hell of a different streaming services experience from that of most people today if you can pull this off without engaging in a fair bit of torrenting and general piracy.

Even with piracy, it wasn't possible a few decades ago.

Re: Successful room temperature ambient-pressure magnetic levitation of LK-99

#110
post #101
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure it depends on jurisdiction, but in the US, you can't patent a material, only a method to make it. If I recall correctly, their patent for method covered a wide range of constituent elements, but left off gold. I would feel pretty bad for them if they genuinely discovered an RTP superconductor but that omission prevents them from becoming billionaires. But more likely the issue is that their current method ha…

Maybe success in life and science isn't about becoming a billionaire? Even so - if this works out, their prizes and paid speaking gigs will cover a very comfortable life if that's what they want. I'm not sure why they should be entitled to more than that.

If it pans out I'd rather they become billionaires than your average tech bro.
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