Last week, a group of South Korean physicists made a startling claim. In two papers uploaded to the arXiv preprint server, they say they have created a material that "opens a new era for humankind."

It is one of the most exciting races in modern physics: How can we produce the best superconductors that remain superconducting even at the highest possible temperatures and ambient pressure? In recent years, a new era of superconductivity has begun with the discovery of nickelates. These superconductors are based on nickel, which is why many scientists speak of the "nickel age of superconductivity research." In many respects, nickelates are similar to cuprates, which are based on copper and were discovered in the 1980s.

The promise of superconductivity for electrical power transmission and transportation has long been held back by high costs. Now researchers from the University of Houston and Germany have demonstrated a way to cut the cost and upend both the transit and energy transport sectors by using superconductors to move people, cargo and energy along existing highway infrastructure.

Physicists have reached a major milestone, achieving superconductivity at room temperature, bringing humanity one major step closer towards several revolutionary technologies which would change life as we know it.