HACKER Q&A
📣 scab

If Argonne replicated LK-99, will they keep the results classified?


It's been awfully quiet from the team at Argonne. What's the likelihood that they replicated LK-99, found that it is indeed superconducting, and are quietly trying to optimize the synthesis technique... all while keeping it secret and potentially classified?

  👤 ggm Accepted Answer ✓
Low to none. Its federally funded, it and this is not their modus operandi.

I think it's actually insulting to them as government funded scientists to imply it.

The most likely reasons for them not publishing is that they don't yet have enough data to meet their internal review bar for going to publication and unlike the other people, have little to no interest in trashing their reputation by inflated early claims or leaks. The second most likely reason is they have unclear results and so are seeking internal replication. If they have anything interesting to communicate about work in progress they will do it scientist-to-scientist, not in public.

Here is where they publish their IPR

  https://www.anl.gov/topic/business/intellectual-property
TL;DR the pace of reporting in this space is stupid. Normal science publishing speed is slower than twitter, for good reasons.