Preprint Memes

The physics community's collective trauma from room temperature superconductor claims is perfectly captured here. Every few months, some preprint drops claiming they've finally done it—achieved the holy grail of physics—only for hopes to be crushed when nobody can replicate it. Remember LK-99? That lasted about 72 hours before crumbling faster than my will to read another "groundbreaking" paper. The stern professor pointing to "Nothing Ever Happens" is basically every senior physicist who's seen this cycle repeat since the 80s. Meanwhile, grad students everywhere frantically check arXiv at 3AM wondering if their research just became obsolete.