According to calculations done by physicists of the University of St Andrews the normally attractive Casimir force between two surfaces can be made repulsive. The repulsive force may even be strong enough to levitate a tiny mirror. In theory the discovery could be used to levitate bigger objects too.
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Scientist float levitation theory
St Andrews scientists have discovered a new way of levitating tiny objects – paving the way for future applications in nanotechnology.
Theoretical physicists at the University of St Andrews have created `incredible levitation effects’ by engineering the force of nature which normally causes objects to stick together by quantum force. By reversing this phenomenon, known as `Casimir force’, the scientists hope to solve the problem of tiny objects sticking together in existing novel nanomachines.
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Physicists have ‘solved’ mystery of levitation
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In theory the discovery could be used to levitate a person
Casimir effect
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Casimir forces on parallel plates.
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