Quantum Levitation: The Coolest Science You'll See Today

[Baldr]

Here's a better youtube video by the group:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyOtIsnG71U&NR

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

Awesome. Just strap a baker's dozen of those suckers to the bottom of my surfboard and it's hover-board time.

Remember, hover-boards don't work on water.

 

[Aprilgold]

My question: If the thing is negative 185 Celsius how does he avoid burning his fingers when he touches it?

I was thinking that aswell, that should be so cold he gets burned.

OT:....I want this science fully invested in. Put those rails all over the globe and lets us fly around in tilted vehicles...xD

Actually, I was thinking a brand new rail system, fuck you, lets make a railway, THATS IN THE SKY, THAT IS FLOATING, THAT IS CONSTANTLY, THAT IS AWESOME! Or a new, safer, car alternative, all the possibilities.

 

[ZehMadScientist]

So... Where can I pre-order this new piece of equipment?

Seriously though, I'm baffled with amazement. Others above me have already mentioned it but we really are in the future. I won't be surprised if in a few years time this technology would be applicable in your everyday toaster; when its done it will shoot the bread up and keep it in place.

 

[Unesh52]

snip

And this is why Twilight is best pony.

 

[uppitycracker]

"When I was a disk, I spoke as a disk, I felt as a disk, I thought as a disk," and so on and so on until we get bored and find another inanimate object to worship.

I think it'll go more along the lines of this:

01010111 01101000 01100101 01101110 00100000 01001001 00100000 01110111 01100001 01110011 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100100 01101001 01110011 01101011 00101100 00100000 01001001 00100000 01110011 01110000 01101111 01101011 01100101 00100000 01100001 01110011 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100100 01101001 01110011 01101011 00101100 00100000 01001001 00100000 01100110 01100101 01101100 01110100 00100000 01100001 01110011 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100100 01101001 01110011 01101011 00101100 00100000 01001001 00100000 01110100 01101000 01101111 01110101 01100111 01101000 01110100 00100000 01100001 01110011 00100000 01100001 00100000 01100100 01101001 01110011 01101011

 

[Agayek]

I have a question. If it "can't" be moved, then why can he just grab it and move it all around? How is the external force from his hand different from, say the force of gravity acting on the disc?

It's the amount of force involved. Essentially, the force generated by counteracting the magnetic flux is enough to override gravity, but the force he exerts on the device is greater than the counterforce generated by the flux.

The basic principle is that a conductor, when moved through a magnetic field, experiences what's known as "magnetic flux". Superconductors have a special property that rejects magnetic flux. This property generates counter-forces for anything trying to move it within a magnetic field.

I forget the specifics of the equation, but the counter-force is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field (and therefore the flux). If you can generate more force than the SC can counter, it will then move.

 

[ShindoL Shill]

snip

And this is why Twilight is best pony.

but but but...

what about fluttershy?

 

[pwnzerstick]

So we could have a train that levitates using theses, even if the superconductors are really expensive, there is no friction (besides air) so it could save a ton of energy.

 

[Unesh52]

snip

Thanks for explaining that. So if we used this principle to, say, levitate a moving train, the momentum would cause it to fly off the track at the first turn, since the counter-force wouldn't be strong enough to hold it on. Right?

snip

Pssh. That lamo?

Please.

 

[Agayek]

Thanks for explaining that. So if we used this principle to, say, levitate a moving train, the momentum would cause it to fly off the track at the first turn, since the counter-force wouldn't be strong enough to hold it on. Right?

Actually no. This would be the ideal form of Maglev. It's quite literally what Maglev was intended to be. The problem with it is that superconductors on the scale necessary for it are so ridiculously expensive that nobody can afford to do it.

Not to mention the temperature problems. This thing had to be at -185* C. That's really fucking cold. It would take a cooling system of liquid nitrogen to keep it cold enough to function properly, which just further adds to the expense.

Long story short, this is how we want Maglevs to work, but it's too expensive to implement.

So we could have a train that levitates using theses, even if the superconductors are really expensive, there is no friction (besides air) so it could save a ton of energy.

We wouldn't really save much, because we'd need to keep the conductors cool, and that means a super-freezer for the liquid nitrogen to keep it cold, and that would run up a lot of energy.

Beyond that, you'd need to keep it moving. Maglev trains as they currently exist use magnetic repulsion/attraction to achieve lift and movement (it's much like the theory behind a railgun). This system, on the other hand, doesn't have any super handy movement mechanics. It locks the thing in place and leaves it there. Moving it would require an outside force, like a jet engine or rollers along the rails (ala theme park rides) or something along those lines. Without that, it would be a big floating hunk of steel, which isn't terribly useful.

 

[Azuaron]

And they still cant cure cancer or aids.

Most cancers are curable if caught in the right stage, and there's currently a very promising vaccine for AIDS about to begin human testing.

 

[Azuaron]

Moving it would require an outside force, like a jet engine or rollers along the rails (ala theme park rides) or something along those lines. Without that, it would be a big floating hunk of steel, which isn't terribly useful.

You need to play more video games. Big floating hunks of steel are pretty much the holy grail for supervillains.

 

[Yeager942]

Oh science, you never cease to amaze me.

 

[Agayek]

Most cancers are curable if caught in the right stage, and there's currently a very promising vaccine for AIDS about to begin human testing.

The problem with the AIDS vaccine is that there's been about half a dozen of them. The virus mutates so rapidly that vaccines aren't terribly useful. What we need is a way to cure/vaccinate against it that doesn't rely on the outer protein shell. I'm not sure that's possible, but it's the only way I can see AIDS being permanently controlled.

You need to play more video games. Big floating hunks of steel are pretty much the holy grail for supervillains.

True, it would make a bitching Doom Fortress(tm). Now we just need to perfect our cloaking technology and I can make my own Hall of Doom.

 

[SnakeoilSage]

SCIENCE!

Very cool. You know what this means, right?

<youtube=TkyLnWm1iCs>

 

[Agayek]

SCIENCE!

Very cool. You know what this means, right?

Now if only we could figure out freestanding magnetic fields.

 

[Wereduck]

Is it just me or does the interviewer sound a lot like Jeff Goldblum?
Let's all just be glad you can't use superconductors to teleport stuff or we'd be dealing with giant gene-spliced-scientist-monsters any day now.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

My mind = Blown.

Also, does this mean Hover cars are indeed possible???

As Jack O'Neill would say "Magnets!".

God damn it, I want to watch that now.

 

[rayen020]

... thats the devil. that has devil in it... shit doesn't just float...

seriously though, thats some weird stuff. quantum physics when will you start making sense.