[timterroo]

Initially I am intrigued by diamagnetic levitation. However, I have extreme doubts about our ability to stage such a controlled environment that would allow this force to levitate a human being (let alone multiple humans) as they freely move themselves about. Also, observing the many many different materials presented in that video, how in the world could they adjust the force to so many different degrees simultaneously without any noticeable glitches in the levitation. This force should work on different materials in different ways at different degrees of magnitude. Not a plausible explanation. More like a fantasy. Wishful thinking. Sorry, I don't think that is a valid argument. Not without some verifiable evidence of at least human levitation.

[timterroo]

Also, consider what might happen to water as it is diamagnetically levitated. First off, the article I read says the effect on water was they observed a bending effect that made the water look concave. In the video, the water demonstrated surface tension (as it always does). This is why it formed into balls in zeroG. I hypothesize that if water was being influenced by diamagnetic energy, the effects of surface tension would be unnoticeable. After all, surface tension is caused by ions in the water being magnetically attracted to a surface. Diamagnetism induced by a powerful machine would surely overpower the ionic pull that creates surface tension.

[markjo]

The same source also says that "even man" can be levitated with diametric levitation.

Did the source happen to mention how powerful the magnet would need to be to levitate a man?

The page he quoted seems to time out, but here is the google cache version:

Since this phenomenon has been known for over 200 years, have you considered looking for more than a single source to support your argument?  From my own cursory investigation, diamagnetic levitation is achieved essentially by putting like magnetic poles together.  I agree that great weights could potentially be levitated, but it seems to have an extremely limited range (generally just a few mm).  No Tom, I don't see how diamagnetic levitation could possibly explain any of the zero gravity videos.

[pj1]

I've always felt that the weightless effect was probably done via diamagnetic levitation, which was discovered in the mid 1800's.

Well at least you're acknowledging that she's weightless in the video.  That's a step in the right direction.

[AATW]

Doesn't sound like diamagnetic levitation is a possibility:

https://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=661

[totallackey]

Of course levitation via magnets is possible!

[timterroo]

So now that we have discussed the mechanics involved with this video. I'd like to take a look at this from another angle. The human perspective.

In the ISS you have the opportunity to fly around the earth and observe the landmass in its entirety. At least presumably so. During a flight over the earth, you should be in the unique position to see if the earth is round or flat.

Since NASA believes the earth is round, wouldn't an observation of a flat earth be a shock? Why does the woman in the video not notice if the earth is flat?

There are three possible explanations as to why someone in the ISS would not notice it is flat.

Q:

1. They actually do know it is flat, but they are covering it up.

2. They are flying in a limited location that does not allow them to see the entire earth.

3. They observe a round earth


A:

1. This is contrary to FET since the conspiracy is around space travel, not that they are covering up a flat earth.

2. This would be pretty lame to be in space but stuck in one spot, but I also don't know how the forces above gravity or UA would hold them in a single or limited location. I would think that in any zero-G environment movement would be free from friction and other physical factors.

3. Well, there wouldn't be much to argue then, so let's just throw this option out!

[Lastwave88]

Is it possible that there is no such thing as the "force" of Gravity? The Zero G function is more of a weightlessness, as if you are in water. If we are in an enclosed dome, there should not be a force holding us in. We are technically just in. NASA, I firmly believe can not be trusted in the least. One of my favorite things I have seen in the last year or so is when you place a Snake head behind the NASA logo. The chevron matches a forked tongue perfectly. Just an interesting thought to add. I have never really heard anyone bring up the existence of "Gravity" inside a dome.

[AATW]

Of course levitation via magnets is possible!

*sigh*

Yes it is, but read that article. The largest animal levitated using this method is a small frog. It doesn’t sound like a valid explanation for footage from the ISS.

[Tom Bishop]

The article from the researchers said that the frog-effect could also scale up to man sized and large-sized objects.

I will trust the people who studied the matter over "nah uh."

[AATW]

The article from the researchers said that the frog-effect could also scale up to man sized and large-sized objects.

I will trust the people who studied the matter over "nah uh."

You trust anyone who backs up any of your crackpot theories.

What article are you talking about and is there any evidence that it HAS been scaled up to that level?

[Tom Bishop]

The article from the researchers said that the frog-effect could also scale up to man sized and large-sized objects.

I will trust the people who studied the matter over "nah uh."

You trust anyone who backs up any of your crackpot theories.

What article are you talking about and is there any evidence that it HAS been scaled up to that level?

The article from the video is here: Radford University Google Cache Link

but it seems to have an extremely limited range (generally just a few mm)

A small non-electromagnet can lift non-magnetic graphite via diamagnetic levitation on the range of "mm."

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2XECoY3TKs

An MRI machine can pull a metal canister off of the opposite side of a wall in a room and kill a person (which has happened), while that small magnet in the above video cannot. I don't see how you can assume how this scales.

[BillO]

The article from the researchers said that the frog-effect could also scale up to man sized and large-sized objects.

I will trust the people who studied the matter over "nah uh."ec

Levitating a 90Kg person .5 meters would take approximately a field of ~450 Tesla which is roughly 10 times stronger than the strongest electromagnet ever made.  To levitate the distances we see in that video of the ISS would take many thousands of Tesla and the magnet would have to be very wide to allow the kind of lateral movement we see.  Further.  Diamagnetic levitation is an equilibrium effect.  While you might be able to move horizontally in the field of a 10,000 Tesla magnet as wide as the ISS ( ), you would not easily move up and down like she does.

You should check your facts first before you embarras yourself Tom.  Oh, wait.  I forget who I'm talking to.

[markjo]

The article from the researchers said that the frog-effect could also scale up to man sized and large-sized objects.

Actually, the effect can scale up to train size (maglev trains), but levitation and zero g are very different phenomena.

[markjo]

An MRI machine can pull a metal canister off of the opposite side of a wall in a room and kill a person (which has happened), while that small magnet in the above video cannot.

We're discussing diamagnetism, not ferromagnetism or paramagnetism.  If you want to learn the difference between the three, then check out this link:
https://www.nde-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/MagParticle/Physics/MagneticMatls.htm

[Tom Bishop]

The article from the researchers said that the frog-effect could also scale up to man sized and large-sized objects.

I will trust the people who studied the matter over "nah uh."ec

Levitating a 90Kg person .5 meters would take approximately a field of ~450 Tesla which is roughly 10 times stronger than the strongest electromagnet ever made.

Based on what? The researchers say that it's not based on mass and that very large masses, including man, can be levitated.

Markjo countered with "that's true! but only a few mm! [no citation]" Yet we see a video of a small permanent magnet levitating graphite a few mm.

How do we really know what really happens when this is scaled up?

An MRI machine can pull a metal canister off of the opposite side of a wall in a room and kill a person (which has happened), while that small magnet in the above video cannot.

We're discussing diamagnetism, not ferromagnetism or paramagnetism.  If you want to learn the difference between the three, then check out this link:
https://www.nde-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/MagParticle/Physics/MagneticMatls.htm

It's called a comparison. A small permanent magnet can levitate objects diamagnetically a few mm, yet you say that this is the ultimate limit without citation. The small permanent magnet certainly isn't pulling metal canisters off of walls.

[markjo]

An MRI machine can pull a metal canister off of the opposite side of a wall in a room and kill a person (which has happened), while that small magnet in the above video cannot.

We're discussing diamagnetism, not ferromagnetism or paramagnetism.  If you want to learn the difference between the three, then check out this link:
https://www.nde-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/MagParticle/Physics/MagneticMatls.htm

It's called a comparison. A small permanent magnet can levitate objects diamagnetically a few mm, yet you say that this is the ultimate limit without citation. The small permanent magnet certainly isn't pulling metal canisters off of walls.

Obviously you didn't read the link, otherwise you would have learned that diamgnetism and ferromagnetism are different phenomena and a direct comparison is not valid.  A small permanent magnet isn't revealing the inner workings of your soft tissues either.

Also, I never said that a few mm of levitation was any sort of limit.  Since you're the one who thinks that diamagnetic levitation can simulate a human in zero gravity, then please feel free to provide an example of such levitation of more than a few mm, if you can.

[BillO]

Levitating a 90Kg person .5 meters would take approximately a field of ~450 Tesla which is roughly 10 times stronger than the strongest electromagnet ever made.

Based on what? The researchers say that it's not based on mass and that very large masses, including man, can be levitated.

Based on the calculations in this paper:www.hep.princeton.edu/~mcdonald/examples/diamagnetic.pdf and using the magnetic permeability of 1 for the human body.

You also note in that paper that the levitation is an equilibrium.  You can't just float about in the direction of the field.  You'll also note that it is indeed dependent on mass.

[Tom Bishop]

You'll also note that it is indeed dependent on mass.

The people who actually did it say that it is not dependent on the amount of material involved. From the Radford University link:

Importantly, the ability to levitate does not depend on the amount of material involved, V, and high-field magnets can be made to accommodate large objects, animals or even man.

Which researchers are right, the ones who performed the experiments or the ones who appear to be theorizing about it?

[BillO]

The people who actually did it say that it is not depentant on the amount of material involved. From the Radford University link:

Importantly, the ability to levitate does not depend on the amount of material involved, V, and high-field magnets can be made to accommodate large objects, animals or even man.

Which researchers are right, the ones who performed the experiments or the ones who appear to be theorizing about it?

The levitation force generated is not dependent on the mass, however the equilibrium point is, as more mass will generate more gravity, and it this equilibrium that distinguishes magnetic levitation from weightlessness.  They say they levitated water and a frog, so since humans are just a bit more dense than water I'll go along with that 10T will levitate a human, but it will only levitate them a few mm.

The amount (distance) of levitation is why you would need stronger fields.  It's about 450T to get .5M - to have them floating around something the size of the ISS, you'd need a heck of a lot more.

None of that is of any matter though.  Magnetic levitation does not give the freedom of movement seen in that video on the ISS.  So, no, it's not being done by levitation.