| Levitation in physics – the steady position of an object in the gravitational field without direct contact with other objects. Necessary conditions for levitation:
1. The availability of force, compensating the gravitation force;
2. The availability of a restoring force, ensuring stability of the object.
Myth:
The popular myth existing in science is that levitation of objects in a static electromagnetic field is not possible. As substantiation, scientists make reference to Earnshow’s theorem. However, the theorem talks about the absence of a stable equilibrium for point charges in the absence of electromagnetic forces. The theorem does not reject stable equilibrium of extended objects. For example, two coherent like charged tori shall be in equilibrium at least from topological consideration.
Until recently, official science treated the information about the levitation phenomena with considerable skepticism. But the situation has changed after a series of experiments, carried out by Russian physicist Yevgeny Podkletnov in a laboratory in the Tampere University of Technology, Finland. A special disk was cooled by the researcher up to minus 167oC and was placed in an electromagnetic field, which made the disk rotate. Upon attaining 3000 rpm, items, placed over the rotating disk, started to lose weight. The report of Podkletnov, published in science magazines, worked like an original detonator. Communications about anti-gravitational effects, observed by the scientists, were received one after the other.
Interesting results were obtained by John Schnurer of Antioch College (Ohio, USA). The aim of his experiments concluded in the following: If a superconductor is placed over a magnet, the superconductor suspends in the air. Though this is already a known phenomenon, which is popular as the “Meissner effect”. As in the experiments of Podkletnov, the incomprehensible thing occurs when some object is placed over the superconductor and suspended without support. The precise measurements said that a zone is created over the superconducting system, where the items lose up to 5% of their weight. According to Schnurer, this is a real step towards the creation of anti-gravitational facilities.
Even more amazing experiments were carried out by Dutch scientists. They managed to suspend a live frog in air. The amphibian was placed over a superconducting coil. The powerful field acted directly on the body cells, creating magnetic moment, inverse to the magnetic field of Earth in them.
Thus, forces neutralizing gravitation were created. Doctor Andre Geim and his colleagues from the university in Nanneli City stated that they will soon be able to suspend any object in the air including human beings with the help of their equipment. Also, immediately after the experiment with the frog, these scientists successfully suspended a sandwich in air, which remained with them after breakfast. The Dutchmen assert that their frog - was the first living being which was suspended in the air without mechanical energy conversion (i.e without jumping, throwing, wings, propeller, jet stream or a blast wave) but by the other method which is otherwise called “molecular magnetism”. But how is it so? In the light of the successful experiments of Doctor Geim, stories about levitating saints and witches would have looked otherwise. After all, laboratory experiments only repeat the conditions occurring at times in the natural environment.
Levitation -
In Indian Vedas, the literal translation from Sanskrit means “knowledge”, contains practical guidelines on levitation, an original know-how, which describes how to bring oneself into such a condition so as to detach from the ground. But for the last centuries, the meaning of many Old Indian words and concepts appeared to be lost and hence the translation of this invaluable instruction book into the modern language is impossible.
According to the evidence we have today, the ancient levitators could raise themselves in the air by two elbows from the ground - about 90 cm. And raising themselves in the air was not done to surprise someone with such miracles but simply because the “raised” position was more convenient for fulfilling religious rituals.
Along with India, levitation is also practiced in the ancient times of Tibet. Buddhist texts narrate that after 527 AD when Indian Bodhidharma, founder of Zen Buddhism, came to the Tibetan monastery, he taught the monks to control their body energy - the indispensable condition to be in-flight.
Levitation was used even by Buddha himself and his mentor Sammat, who could remain in the air for hours together.
It is characteristic that the levitation art is still practiced in India and Tibet. Many oriental researchers also describe the “flying lamas” phenomenon. For example, Alexandra David-Neel, a British explorer, observed with her own eyes on the high-mountainous plateau Chang-Tang how one of the Buddhist monks, sitting motionless with tucked-in legs, flew tens of meters, touching the ground and once again raising in the air as a ball rebounding after a strong throw. And his view is directed far into the distance - on a “guiding star”, which is visible only to him in the daylight.
Levitation was long-ago popular not only in the East but also in Europe. And medieval European levitators possessed one prominent feature. Unlike eastern Brahmans, yogis and lamas, none of them tried especially to master the levitation art and did not prepare for flights. Usually, they soared up in the air due to being in religious ecstasy and without even thinking of it. |
A breakthrough in gravity research - scientists managed to successfully levitate mice with strong magnetic fields. The previous successful levitation experiments were done with water, frogs and grasshoppers. All these studies showed that animals adjust to feeling completely weightless and stop freaking out after a while, just like Nicole Richie.
