Scientific Levitation Exists!

[b dreher 0]

I just learned from this site http://science.howstuffworks.com/acoustic-levitation.htm that scientists are using sound waves to counteract gravity and create liquids to float! This is called "Acoustic Levitation". God, what will they think of next?

[RedWaffle 0]

Scientist these days really must have too much time on their hands. Why can't they be off inventing a cure for cancer instead of making things levitate?

[ethergeek 0]

Scientist these days really must have too much time on their hands. Why can't they be off inventing a cure for cancer instead of making things levitate?

Because innovation is important, and not every scientist likes or is good at biochemistry.

They can only levitate liquids right now, but imagine what the impact of being able to levitate arbitrary solids would be...do you know what the impact of cheap, low-cost (power and money) levitation would be? Think of all the energy wasted in frictional losses in the moving parts of systems we use every day. Eliminating these would make machines more reliable and more efficient for one, but could also have other uses...say, moving heavy objects?

[toby 0]

It'll be like the wireless electricity, very low. So no for forklifts or power plants. I imagine stuff like books or mugs.No, for now. I read a book that had some of those sort of quotes. Both will probably never do better than a remote in our lifetimes.

Edited August 10, 2007 by toby (see edit history)

[ethergeek 0]

It'll be like the wireless electricity, very low. So no for forklifts or power plants. I imagine stuff like books or mugs.

That's like going back to when Ford came out with the Model T, and assuming because they're underpowered that cars will never go faster than 40 miles per hour.

[tuko 0]

This is good discovery for our century and that will develop on more than like levitation of liquids... how about structures! or in other words solids!Think about it.. It will really save a lot of work and expenses, i think.

[kelvinmaki 0]

This is good discovery for our century and that will develop on more than like levitation of liquids... how about structures! or in other words solids!
Think about it.. It will really save a lot of work and expenses, i think.

It will definitely saves a lot of work and expenses but I think that will still be a long way to go. But I would really like to see those cars out there to be able to levitate of the ground.

[patronus4000 0]

Oh, wow. That's awesome. I can see how this could be an asset, but it'll take a long, long time for this technology to evolve into a form that won't cost a lot.Levitation used to be some kind of magic, something that we thought was entirely impossible (well, except for using some almost invisible strings to create the illusion). And now, it's become reality. Magic to technology. Hmm. What will be possible in the future? (Real unicorns and wizards that can throw druid fire! XD)Serena

[kelvinmaki 0]

(Real unicorns and wizards that can throw druid fire! XD)

LOL. If that kind of things do happen, I will be the first to try it out. Something like WOW.

[.:Brian:. 0]

Well, i can't wait to see what kinds of things happen with this (too bad it ruins some of the magicians tricks now....they'll have to move on to some other things in order to make it more impressive...otherwise it'll just be something that can be done with science)...Maybe some special effects in movies will start to use this sort of thing? I don't get what the practical use of this would be...

[Chesso 0]

If you are not sure of any practical uses of levitation, just try remember back to some of the games, movies, books you have had your nose in, you'll probably find at least a few that have some form of levitation technology or magical idea involving it, displaying just how useful it could be.One already mentioned, would be large and heavy objects, like a car (perhaps even heavier than that), perhaps even at some point before we pull off flying cars, we'll have a safety measure in-place to boost the car above ground level (like in an accident, or even some system that knows where the car is tilted and can correct it).Things like that I guess? lol.

[Impious 0]

I think scientists are a litlle bit crazy.. in a good way of course, but they are! I have no idea weather if it's true or not or even if it's possible Doubtless it would bring a great progress, not rigth now, but over the years to world!

[kgd2006 0]

That is the most interesting fact of innovation that I have ever heard. If they start to learn how to levitate, I can probably fulfill my dreams of flying like superman, haha. But that is very interesting, being able to levitate will probably be the coolest science experiment that is done. First thing I would do with the levitation would be to walk on water and check out all the cool fishes upclose and personal, and even tease the sharks hahah.

[uNiT 0]

Thats pretty amazing. I'd love to see floating water as I walk into someones house. I see a lot of good things that could come from this if they could manage to move solids in a similar method. This could become a new method in state of the art security, a way to transport things, or even just an everyday household convention.On the down side though, how much energy would it take to create these sound waves in the first place? Could the levitation be used as a weapon? I definitely hope I get to see the answers to some of those questions within my lifetime

[jamest123 0]

If You have a big enough magnet you can levitate anything that contains water(water resists magnetic feilds). I saw a frog levitated in this way on a TV show on Discovery channel. In theory(though unrelistic) this method could be used to levitate a human.