Asianometry just released a video on the history of superconductors: https://youtu.be/wUczYHyOhLM It's a nice primer on the topic as he touches on LK-99.
Thanks for posting this. This was really interesting and I learned a lot.
Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
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Re: Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
#132Re: Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
#133Earlier quoted context omitted.
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What would you suggest? Do you have any specific reforms to the laws regarding patents in mind? What would happen in those cases?
I see very little value in patents in general, and I certainly don't think they should exist for things like fundamental research.
Patents exist as a hack to make up for the fact that markets don't deal well with situations where investment from one entity benefits everyone. Patents ensure that only the company doing the research gets to benefit from it, robbing the world as a whole from the progress which could have stemmed from that research.
Why can't we leave the markets to do their thing, and have an alternative mode of research whose funding doesn't depend on keeping the fruits of the research out of the hands of humanity? Why can't we leave companies to do whatever research they want, but put a bunch more money into public research institutions and research non-profits and the like?
If you absolutely want to keep research funding private, I can think of other options as well. Instead of making the reward a government-backed monopoly over the use of an innovation, what if the reward was, say, a direct monetary reward through tax reductions, or maybe a system where the government could subsidize products with the innovation for some time period so that competitors have a disadvantage in the market.
I'm sure someone smarter than me could think of other, better solutions. Point is, there are lots of options. Using state power to keep the innovation out of the hands of humanity seems like the worst of them.
Re: Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
#134Earlier quoted context omitted.
They did send some of the material to other labs
Source?
The Korea Institute of Energy Technology (KENTECH) received samples about a month ago and they analyzing it for possible applications. https://www.edaily.co.kr/news/read?newsId=02646966635704040&...
Re: Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
#135Earlier quoted context omitted.
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That's how patents work though. That's the whole deal. Private entities invest in research and development. If they find something incredible, they release the full details to the world of what they found, and in return we give them monopoly on the invention for a period of time. That's a patent. Take away the incentive and private entities won't invest in research. The public appetite for investing in basic research…
I know that's how patents work. That's the problem.
I don't believe private entities wouldn't invest in research if it wasn't for patents. But I also don't care. If the private sector won't invest, let the public sector invest. Just don't keep innovations out of the hands of humanity.
Re: Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
#136Why is it necessary for other labs to produce the material themselves to verify the claims? The original authors claim they produced some superconductive material, can't they simply offer their samples to other labs to verify?
It’s not strictly necessary, but knowing how to reliably synthesize the material is also important.
Re: Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
#137Earlier quoted context omitted.
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comments like this really make me smh. what's wrong with some lucky people getting rich off of this? you do realize they financed that research for the past 20 years, and if it's actually an investment group instead of a few passionate individuals I can guarantee you they also financed a shitload of other endeavours that went nowhere and ate the losses, lol. you could do the same, get together with a group of other p…
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Re: Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
#138Earlier quoted context omitted.
The lab has a patent though which a lows for disclosure while also profiting from it. Thus I am not totally convinced of your claims.
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I don't see how it would hold back research. Private companies and universities would still be able to acquire the material to do R&D with it.
Re: Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
#139In the morning I just check the odds on various betting markets now rather than going to look for actual replication news. If they haven't moved, there's no new news, I reckon, and it saves me having to look in any more detail
Re: Compilation of claims/reports of LK-99 replication efforts
#140I see many comments wondering why the original authors do not reveal their synthesis process. The reason is simple. They work for a private company. Not a university. Not a public lab. They do not reveal the process for the same reason than openAI does not reveal its process. It is because they are sitting on a quadrillion dollars opportunity and they want to grab it. Similarly as OpenAI, many initiatives are trying…
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