[Insight & Opinion] The Superconductor Craze and the Dreams of Scientists

The unfinished paper claiming that a substance called ‘LK-99,’ developed by a Korean research team, demonstrated superconductivity at room temperature and atmospheric pressure has shaken the global scientific community. Prestigious research institutions, universities, and researchers worldwide have jumped into analyzing the paper, conducting replication experiments, and verifying through simulations. Regardless of the authenticity of LK-99 as a superconductor, has the word ‘South Korea’ ever been so widely mentioned in the global scientific community? Interest in science and technology mediated by superconductors has also exploded domestically. Not only mainstream media but also social networking services (SNS), YouTube, scientific communities, and stock market forums were flooded with superconductor-related issues. Even the general public, who previously had little interest in science and technology, enthusiastically engaged with the superconductor topic, whether skeptically or hopefully. The diverse superconductor ‘memes’ flooding internet communities and social media also reflect the public’s keen interest in superconductors.

Why are the public so enthusiastic about superconductors? It is likely because of the infinite possibilities they promise. There is an expectation that when the superconductor, called the ‘dream material,’ is first developed and commercialized in South Korea, the country will become the center of the world. In the face of bleak future challenges such as the climate crisis, low birthrate and aging population, pension depletion, technological hegemony, and low growth, superconductors can be seen as a ray of hope.

Even if superconductors end up as a ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ our people have dreamed a happy dream over the past few weeks. They have learned unfamiliar scientific and technological terms and gained at least a rough understanding of what physics and chemistry are. If Korean researchers were to win a Nobel Prize for superconductor research, it could mark a turning point for our scientific community. Above all, it would inspire many young people to develop an interest in science and technology and to dream and hope to become scientists.

When the author was in elementary school in the 1970s, one out of every two elementary students aspired to be a scientist. This was because, since the 1970s, a social atmosphere had formed under the slogan ‘Science and technology are national power,’ which favored scientists and engineers. A 1981 survey by the Korea Science and Technology Promotion Foundation also showed that the top career aspiration among elementary students was ‘scientist.’ Scientists remained the top choice even in the 1990s. However, entering the 2000s, scientists disappeared from the list of career aspirations among our children. According to the ‘2022 Elementary and Secondary Career Education Status Survey’ released by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, no scientists or engineers appeared among the top 10 desired occupations of elementary students. This is because positive perceptions of scientists sharply declined after the 1997 financial crisis, and a social preference for stable jobs emerged.

Whether failure or success, new challenges are always beautiful, and scientific discoveries are achieved through relentless failures followed by a single success. Even if the current superconductor research results fall short of expectations, we must encourage the researchers’ challenges and support their continued dedication to research. Above all, we should keep the flame of the superconductor craze alive so that the public maintains ongoing interest in science and technology and use this as an opportunity to reflect on our country’s research environment.

Seoyong Seok, Professor, Graduate School of Future Strategy, KAIST

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.