anti-gravity - Gizmodo

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NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
Axon Anti-Gravity RC Racer Hovers Past the Competition at 50 MPH
Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmill Approved by the FDA
Magnetic Shot Glasses Stay Put Even When You're Sloshed
Cat+Toast=Anti-Gravity

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trs
09/11/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
These are the crappiest pictures of a floating mouse I've ever seen. Were these taken by the same person that goes around taking pictures of rumored upcoming iPhones?
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anon
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
One more freefall magnet. This demonstrates eddy currents as used in magnetic braking.
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Pixelologist, Esq.
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
I've been experimenting with a different approach - pulling oneSELF up by one's bootstraps. My primary stumbling block at the moment is procuring tiny boots for the mice.
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BigRosie
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
I'll bet the first commercial use of this technology will be in porn. The will find a way.
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deliciousburglar
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
if it defeats the effects of gravity, i say anti-gravity.
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Kaiser-Machead
09/10/09

@deliciousburglar: Exhibit A: Failed attempt at anti-gravity.
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Edited by Kaiser-Machead at 09/10/09 1:55 PM Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred

frigg
09/10/09

@deliciousburglar: jump and you defeat the gravitational field of the entire planet.
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JackTheTripper
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
This is GREAT news! Giz, please please PLEASE let us know when they can levitate a pig. Man, I'm SO gonna get laid 50 times over when that happens.
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Ryanraven
09/10/09

@JackTheTripper: Those girls that rejected you said "when pigs fly" not float. sorry bud, but you're stuck in the poon drought still
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JackTheTripper
09/10/09

@Ryanraven: Technicality. Plus, by odds, some won't know the difference, right? Bah! Who am I kidding.... I'll die a virgin.
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PooftyIsMyGame
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate

Made me think think of this classic flash sort-of-game.
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geiko
09/10/09

@PooftyIsMyGame: joecartoon.com

I have lots of fond memories from that site. No thirteen y/o boy should grow up in the age of the Internet without joecartoon, or an equivalent.
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aquajaws
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
So they are close to explaining why the hoverboards didn't work on water...something the high powered magnet pushing the water away causing them to lose inertia...interesting...sorry...back the future geek moment. Maybe the hoverboard itself was filled with water...:-)
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wishnias
09/10/09

@aquajaws: actually the hoverboards didn't work on water because there wasn't any way for Marty to 'push off' on the liquid... if he had a paddle he would have been fine.
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SQLGuru
09/10/09

@wishnias: And it won't work with this method because the water will just change shape around the column of "flotation".....you'd just have columns of air surrounded by the water.
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FriarNurgle
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
When is Brando coming out with the USB powered Desktop Rat Levatron?
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DustyButt™
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
I'd be more impressed with artificial gravity on a space vessel.
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Margatron
09/10/09

@DustyButt™: If the magnets can push mice up, can it pull mice down?
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aec007
09/10/09

@DustyButt™:
My first though exactly!.
If you can create an antigravity electromagnetic field you should be able to create a gravity field.

In which case one of the biggest hurdles in space travel would be solved.
With the loss of gravity, fluids in the body moved around too much, bone loss begins to set in a rate of nearly 1% per month in space without HEAVY exercise (threadmill, weight (mass) lifting (moving),etc...

The New C.O.L.B.E.R.T. might not be necessary in the future...

This news is fascinating.

Besides, a great prank on the space station would be to switch someone's gravity field in reverse while on toilet duty!
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nutbastard: back from burningman promoted this comment aec007 was starred aec007 was unstarred

nutbastard
09/10/09

@aec007:

or you can, you know, spin the ship and just use centripetal force to simulate gravity...
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aec007
09/10/09

@D.E.P.C.: I want your body.:
I think the power issue is not an issue at all if the finally decide to have the balls of putting a hefty nuclear reactor in orbit or on a ship.

This is a great read: [www.space4peace.org]
Interesting anyways... if the can have 2 kilowatts of power in relatively small satallites, you can see that a moderate size reactor could provide ample power.

@nutbastard: back from burningman:

I think you've been watching 2001 and 2010 too many times.

Yes, I do agree that the centripeal force of a rotating section could solve the issue too, but in reality, it would be a frikking cabling and piping mightmare for anyone building such ship.
IF you consider to sping the whole ship then, I hate to be the pilot or just watch out a window.

Plus, as @jasonliang: pointed out the energy wasted would be just as bad.
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aetheria
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
not anti gravity field. article title fail. disappointment evident.
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Kaiser-Machead
09/10/09

@aetheria: Disappointment detected. Activating indifference countermeasures.
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magius
09/10/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Indifference countermeasures activated. Initiating L.M.A.O. maneuver.
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FightingChance
09/10/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Apathy-condensers at 103% capacity! She's ready to 'meh' Captain!
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steve holt!
09/10/09

@aetheria: i agree. the magnet is simply creating a force opposite to the direction of gravity on the mouse, not removing the gravitational force
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DarthSensate
09/10/09

@powell.442: You can still call it anti-gravity because it is generating an force to counter the force of gravity. nuf said. Anti-gravity does not have to mean neutralization of gravitons or some such quantum affect... unless you define the constraints of the experiment to be such.
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nutbastard
09/10/09

@FightingChance:

Initiating Text Sequence: Excessive Continuance. Sequence Stable, Begin Handoff in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
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nutbastard
09/10/09

@DarthSensate:

generating a force that opposes gravity is not anti-gravity - only generating a force that negates the effects gravity is anti-gravity. this does not negate the effects of gravity, it opposes them. though the mouse floats, the mouse itself still feels a downward pull. levitation doesn't cause the sensation of weightlessness, which is the simplest litmus test for gravity negating vs gravity opposing forces.
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Xeno
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
JPL != NASA
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Skunky
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate

Old news, rodents have been able to float for years!

He totally didn't need any magnets, either.
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HyperDrunk
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
They had this on discovery channel, made all sorts of small objects float including frogs. it's nothing new.
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Jesus Diaz
09/10/09

@HyperDrunk: It is completely new. The frogs and the grasshopers were tiny. These are large mice.
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OCEntertainment
09/10/09

In reply to NASA's New Super-Magnet Is So Strong It Could Make Lab Rats Levitate
Look, guys. Not to rush you or anything, but you've got about six and a half years left. Let's upgrade this mess, miniaturize it and make with the cheap plastic products already!

While you do that, I'll be busy turning my pants inside out and ordering one of these: [www.amazon.com]
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