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Richard Cooper
Web Content Manager, IOM3 (The Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining)

Monday, 6 August 2007

Levitation 'possible' with nanotechnology (but don't hold your breath)


Professor Ulf Leonhardt and Dr Thomas Philbin of the University of St Andrews in Scotland claim to have worked out a way of reversing the Casimir force so that it repels instead of attracts. The discovery could revolutionise nanotechnology, leading to frictionless micro-machines with moving parts that levitate - but Leonhardt says it will be a while yet before people will be able to fly, 'since this quantum force is small and acts only at short ranges.' Meh.
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