scientists solve mystery of levitation

[Shadez]

Is there any diagrams or descriptions on how it actually works? in a laymens term.

You want Quantum Physics in laymans terms ...... next you will want blood from a stone

 

[Sirrel Squirrel]

they use magnets

B@Th*nG

well yeah but they still leviate slightly above the track though don't they?

 

[The_TailGunner]

You want Quantum Physics in laymans terms ...... next you will want blood from a stone

blood from a stone would be easier

 

[Glaucus]

You want Quantum Physics in laymans terms ...... next you will want blood from a stone

no, I want to know what kind of device they use to achieve this. Which is usually pretty simple to put into a diagram.

 

[The_TailGunner]

no, I want to know what kind of device they use to achieve this. Which is usually pretty simple to put into a diagram.

well the article said they used something along the lines of a lens to create the repulsion effect.

hmm....goes off to tinker...

 

[The_TailGunner]

Here's a fairly easy to grasp article on it from physicsworld.

Clicky

TG

 

[fornowagain]

 

[Jokester]

Oh my, that is incredible.

 

[fornowagain]

I want my Marty McFly hoverboard now.

http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-kea...-levitation-back-to-the-future-hoverboard.asp

 

[Bryan & Diane]

Wow - thats just mind bending !!!

 

[SexyGreyFox]

 

[Domo]

Very cool if you pardon the pun. The way is stays in position is fascinating.

 

[Glaucus]

Avery awesome. But not very practical. Buts musept be abled to be used on something.

First a thin sapphire wafer is created. It is then coated with a very thin ceramic layer of yttrium barium copper oxide which becomes a superconductor (materials that conduct electricity with no loss of energy) at very cold temperatures. The result is a frozen disc. When it is placed over a magnet, the superconductor material and magnet repel one another due to the Meissner effect (the expulsion of the magnetic field from a material when it goes into a superconducting state). But, because the layer of superconducting material is so thin, some of the magnetic force is allowed through at certain particularly weak points. These paths through are called flux tubes, and they are the real secret to the whole trick. Because there are many of them they cause a three dimensional holding or locking effect, which is what viewers see when watching the video.

We still need room temperature superconductor Holly grail.

 

[Cosimo]

Oo-er freezing magnetic levitation.

 

[SlyReaper]

There's no "mystery" about levitation. There are a number of ways to achieve it through electromagnetic forces, superconductivity, etc. The Casimir force, being a quantum effect, will only work over minute distances, so hardly practical for lifting large objects.

 

[RomanNose]

Wait till we have superconductors at room temperature, it is theoretically possible for a superconductor to exist at room temperature, it's just we have not discovered one yet.

 

[Domo]

Wait till we have superconductors at room temperature, it is theoretically possible for a superconductor to exist at room temperature, it's just we have not discovered one yet.

I could theoretically win the lottery

 

[RomanNose]

I could theoretically win the lottery

Research is being done on it, hopefully one day we will get the breakthrough.

 

[Glaucus]

Research is being done on it, hopefully one day we will get the breakthrough.

Maybe possible with metallic hydrogen.

Only need a sustained pressure of 5million atmospheres.
So far it seems we've managed 1million for a fraction of a second.

 

[DAnDan]

http://www.superconductors.org/20C.htm We're getting there, slowly.

Fairly interesting site if you want to read more about it.