Room Temperature Superconductor Findings Create Controversy, South Korean Experts Form Verification Committee

On Thursday, August 23, South Korean experts announced the formation of a committee to verify claims that room temperature superconductors have been found. These findings have raised enthusiasm among investors, but have also come under skepticism from experts since it was revealed some time ago.

The Korean Society of Superconductivity and Cryogenics, an expert group, issued a statement last Thursday that it had asked the Quantum Energy Research Center to send samples to verify its researchers' findings on room-temperature superconducting materials, which were publicly announced last month through a website before official publications.

"There is a lot of controversy over the authenticity of the reported research results, both domestically and abroad, and other claims are added without going through a peer review process," the group of experts said.

"Using data from two archived papers and published videos, currently these materials cannot be referred to as room temperature superconductors," he added.

Superconductors, namely substances that do not have electrical barriers, are considered of high value because they can make electricity flow without losing energy. However, until now only a few materials have been found to be able to show superconductivity properties at very high temperatures and pressures, so it is not practical to use widely.

The group of experts revealed that organizations such as Seoul National University, Sungxikwan University, and Pohang University of Science and Technology will verify these findings if the sample is given by the Quantum Energy Research Center, while member organizations are also conducting their own verification research.

The researchers who claimed the findings did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Since the announcement of this practical superconductor was published by South Korean researchers, shares in the United States, China, and South Korea have seen an increase, as investors made early bets despite skepticism from some scientists.

Global enthusiasm is increasing after a university in China published a video duplicating the experiment.

The stock index that tracks stock-related superconductors in China has surged since late July, when South Korean researchers published their paper, up to 22%, although most of the gains were lost last Thursday.

Among the stocks are Jiangsu Etern Co and Western Superconducting Technologies, which fell 9.7% and 8.13% respectively on Thursday.