Harvard researchers have studied and observed solid hydrogen under pressure at low temperatures. With increasing pressure we observe changes in the sample, going from transparent, to black, to a reflective metal, the latter studied at a pressure of 495 GPa. If it stays a metal at room temperature and after releasing pressure and was also a superconductor then it would be the holy grail of physics. Controlled nuclear fusion, production of metallic hydrogen, and high temperature superconductivity have been listed as the top 3 problems of physics. These problems all involve hydrogen and its isotopes.

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