Imagine a frog, not hopping, not swimming, but flying. Sounds like science fiction, right? But in the year 2000, this bizarre reality earned Dr. Andre Geim and his team an Ig Nobel Prize for their groundbreaking (or rather, gravity-defying) experiment: levitating a frog using magnetism! You can read about the Ig Nobel Prize here (https://www.iflscience.com/dangling-rhinos-and-decongesting-orgasms-win-this-years-ig-nobel-awards-60910). And get this: Geim later snagged a real Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on graphene (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2010/press-release/). But that's a story for another time. Right now, let's delve into the strange world of magnetic frogs!
Everything, and I mean everything, possesses at least a tiny bit of magnetism. This is a crucial concept to understand. Forget the fridge magnets for a second. This subtle magnetism is the key to understanding how diamagnetism can lift a frog – and, theoretically, even a human – against the pull of gravity.
We typically associate magnetism with metals like iron and cobalt, and rightfully so – they exhibit strong magnetic properties. However, at a fundamental level, every object, living or inanimate, has a magnetic field. The difference lies in the strength of that field. And this is the part most people miss: even you have a magnetic field! It's just incredibly weak.
Here's a simplified way to think of it: atoms and electrons are constantly zipping around, creating a tiny magnetic field. When you place an object in a powerful external magnetic field (like the one Geim used), these internal fields can be repelled. This repulsion is a quantum mechanical effect called diamagnetism. It's a fundamental property of matter, meaning any object, from a frog to a cricket to a pebble, can exhibit it.
Geim and his colleagues put this theory to the test back in 1997 (https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15420771-600-frog-defies-gravity/). They placed a live frog inside the bore of a high-field magnet (https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.372654), and lo and behold, the amphibian floated! Its weight was seemingly canceled out by the magnetic force.
The levitating frog became a sensation, catapulting Geim and his team to Ig Nobel fame (https://www.nature.com/articles/35037782). This notoriety led to some rather unusual requests. As they recounted to NPR (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130353581), the leader of a small religious group in England offered them a million pounds to levitate him in front of his congregation, hoping to boost his public image! But here's where it gets controversial... Some people criticized the experiment, arguing it was unethical to subject a living creature to such a powerful magnetic field. What do you think? Was the scientific gain worth the (potential) stress on the frog?
Fortunately, the experiment had no lasting negative effects on the frogs or crickets involved. Beyond turning amphibians into celebrities, diamagnetic levitation has practical applications in industry and research. For example, it can simulate the effects of zero gravity, offering a cheaper alternative to sending experiments into space. Floating living things here on Earth allows scientists to study the effects of weightlessness without the hefty price tag of a space mission.
So, what about levitating a human? An insightful YouTube video from SciShow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLkP6S6mKsY) suggests it's theoretically possible. The main challenge is the size of the magnet required. Current technology limits the levitation space to something around the size of a bagel. Scientists are actively working on this technology, though. For example, they are exploring how levitating cells can improve our understanding of how drugs work (https://www.iflscience.com/physics/levitating-cells-could-help-scientists-figure-out-how-drugs-work/).
Still dreaming of taking flight? While human levitation might be a ways off, there are other options. You could try out this flying car (https://www.iflscience.com/technology/first-flying-car-passes-safety-test-in-japan-could-be-onsale-by-2025/), or perhaps a hoverboard (https://www.iflscience.com/technology/reallife-green-goblin-caught-on-camera-soaring-through-city-on-actual-hoverboard/) is more your style. What do you think is the most exciting application of levitation technology? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
