Based on the provided sources, the recent controversy in the search for room-temperature superconductivity primarily revolves to two distinct events: the research misconduct of Ranga Dias and the failed replication of LK-99.

The Ranga Dias Scandal

Physicist Ranga Dias and his team at the University of Rochester made headlines with claims of discovering room-temperature superconductivity in hydride materials under high pressure.

• The Claims: In 2020, Dias published a paper in Nature claiming superconductivity in carbonaceous sulfur hydride (CSH) at 15 °C. In 2023, he followed up with another Nature paper claiming near-ambient superconductivity in nitrogen-doped lutetium hydride ("red matter") at 21 °C.

• The Outcome: Both papers were retracted by Nature due to data irregularities and concerns ove ...