Welcome to Constantly Curious, Edition #16!

This week at a glance:

• Was the Most Important Scientific Discovery of the 21st Century Just Made?

• A Must Listen Podcast Episode

• Three (3) Ideas/Quotes of the Week

• A Though-Provoking Article to Read and Consider

If this is your first time reading - welcome! Let your curiosity run wild with us every Thursday at 12pm EST.

With that said, let’s get into it -

Did Scientists Just Make the Greatest Discovery of the 21st century?

Last week, I saw this tweet come across my timeline.

This got my attention, so I dove in. Essentially, a paper was just published from a group of Korean scientists alleging that they created a material (LK-99) that is the world’s first room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconductor.

In layman’s terms, a room-temp, ambient-pressure superconductor could make levitating high-speed rails, hoverboards, and quantum computing at scale a reality. This discovery would RADICALLY shift the world - on the level of the transistor (a semiconductor), which makes all modern electronics possible.

From what I’m able to gather, there was/is some initial skepticism of the claims. The paper itself was not peer reviewed, there appeared to be some infighting among the scientists who published the paper, etc.

But, for the last week, the race has been on. Who (if anyone) can reproduce the results? Here’s what I’m seeing…

If you’re still asking, “WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS MEAN?”, I get it.

Watch these videos.

I certainly am not a superconductor expert - and frankly, this could all blow over in a week. BUT - I am seeing enough signal on socials to know that this is worth paying attention to.

If LK-99 really is the world’s first room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconductor, we are one step closer to living like The Jetson’s.

The One Podcast You MUST Listen to This Week

Joe Rogan Experience #2013 with Paul Rosolie was an absolutely incredible interview, and one of the best podcasts I’ve listened to in a long time.

Paul Rosolie is an American Conservationist who’s lived in Peru and defended the Amazon rain forest for the last decade +.

The stories he tells about his exploits, encounters, and experiences within the jungle are some of the most riveting stories I have EVER heard

For example…

If you listen to one podcast this week, make it this one. You won’t regret it.

Three Quotes/Ideas of the Week

A Thought-Provoking Idea to Consider

I really enjoyed this piece from Morgan Housel (author of The Psychology of Money). In it, 6-12 examples are used to highlight the natural cycles of life and the world: financial markets, businesses, personal relationships, and even our own motivations.

Here’s the last paragraph - I’d recommend reading the entire piece if this speaks to you…

Stay Curious, Friends!