In fiction, magic makes levitation easy. With a simple swish-and-flick of his wand, Ron Weasley yanks a troll’s club high above its head in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Through graceful martial arts, element benders in TV’s Avatar series launch boulders and waves of water skyward. And a casual gesture is all Marvel hero Scarlet Witch needs to fling away enemies.
In the real world, sound, magnets and electricity can all create upward forces strong enough to cancel out gravity. Just don’t expect these levitation techniques to toss boulders or bad guys. At least, not without some outrageous — and dangerous — upgrades.
#newsletter-helper svg { width: auto;→ Continue reading at Science News