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by Craig B (writer), March 08, 2008

Can I levitate? Yes, using diamagnetic levitation.

In the Netherlands is the University of Nijmegen.  In it is their High Field Magnetic Laboratory.  Diamagnetic materials such as water molecules, which we are mostly made up of, always line up opposite to an external magnetic field.  In other words, diamagnetic materials try to cancel out the external magnetic field. 

In a magnetic field roughly 100 times more than a refrigerator magnet has, our normally not susceptible to polarization water molecules can all be influenced to point the same way.  A person in that magnetic field is now magnetically polarized.  The way they are polarized is opposite to the applied field that aligned their atoms in the first place. 

Since likes repel, north pole repels another north pole, south pole repels another south pole, the field can be strengthened enough to counteract the downward pull of gravity.  Voila!  The result is a person about 5’ 10” weighing 175 pounds is lifted off the ground.

Check out http://www.hfml.ru.nl/levitate.html to see levitating frogs.

Craig B is a writer for BrooWaha. For more information, visit the author's website.