| The age-old question, is levitation magic or science? | | | | trains transporting people safely at top speeds of 361 |
| The answer depends on who you ask. But the fact is | | | | miles per hour. A maglev train is propelled by a |
| all objects can exert diamagnetic force, a magnetic | | | | powerful electromagnet on the guide way (maglev's |
| force exerted by an object in response to an external | | | | train tracks) itself. When the electromagnet detects |
| magnetic force applied to it. Superconductors exert | | | | the train on top of it, it powers up firing a magnetic |
| stronger diamagnetic force than live objects such as | | | | force to produce a diamagnetic reaction from the |
| humans, but nevertheless a determined scientist can | | | | magnets attached at the bottom of the train itself. The |
| surely find a way to levitate humans with magnets. | | | | direction of the force is directed to propel the train |
| Scientists from two universities in the Netherlands | | | | forward at top speeds minus the noise of the wheel |
| successfully levitated a frog using electromagnetism; | | | | making a contact with the tracks. |
| they say no magic is involved there, just pure physics. | | | | From the way it looks, floating objects in the air is not |
| The frog was subjected to approximately 16 teslas of | | | | left entirely to magic after all. What about the |
| magnetic force, which alters the orbits of the electrons | | | | construction of the Coral Castle by a single man, with |
| in the frogs body to produce diamagnetic force. As a | | | | its heaviest single stone block reaching up to 30 |
| result, the frog had a fleeting magical moment of | | | | tonnes? And yes, Edward Leedskalnin did not use |
| floating in the air. | | | | cranes to build his castle. That just goes to prove that |
| A frog today, tomorrow humans? Not impossible. | | | | there are a lot of facts yet to be discovered about |
| Magnetic levitation is also the driving force behind fast | | | | magnetism and the force of nature. |