Acoustic Levitation Works On Small Animals

anthemaniac writes "Researchers for at least two decades have used acoustic levitation to suspend light materials without a container. Wenjun Xie, a materials physicist at Northwestern Polytechnical University in China, has previously used ultrasound fields to levitate globs of iridium and mercury, very heavy materials. Now the scientist has performed the feat with live animals. From the story: 'Xie and his colleagues employed an ultrasound emitter and reflector that generated a sound pressure field between them. The emitter produced roughly 20-millimeter-wavelength sounds, meaning it could in theory levitate objects half that wavelength or less.' Apparently the ants, spiders and ladybugs endured the trick just fine, but the fish didn't do so well due to lack of water."

Comments

Re:Small Aminals?

[BWJones]

Come on. A spider ISN'T an aminal. (sic)

And this ladies and gentlemen is why we need better education funding and resources with a greater focus on math and science in schools, not to mention spelling and grammar. :-)

Re:Small Aminals?

[spun]

That is SO mammalist of you. Expect a call from the PC police.

Thats nothing

[LiquidCoooled]

I was once lay on the bed and my cat decided to curl up in the small of my back.
When I let out a ripper of a fart I swear he hovered right there for about 15 seconds.

(Incidentally, after that event he never lay on my back again)

Re:Biological heating effects?

[Red Flayer]

Well, ultrasound is used to create the field... but the emitter that produces the waves for levitation has waves of much, much longer wavelength (and therefore much lower frequency). I think instead of at the molecular level, the concern would be at the macro level... that is, can animal tissue deal with rapid mechanical manipulation from the soundwaves?

And is it possible for animals to have cavities or structures with a resonant frequency equal to that of the emitted waves? That's where the real danger lies, I think.

Technicality

[Rob T Firefly]

Apparently the ants, spiders and ladybugs endured the trick just fine

Actually, they're fairly pissed. They only seem "just fine" because they lack the proper fingers to angrily flip off the scientists.

Re:Technicality

[ZombieRoboNinja]

Especially the ladybugs, who hastened to emphasize that they can ALREADY FLY.

Re:50 Hz?

[cnettel]

Ehum, only if sound travelled 1 meter per second in air. Hint: it doesn't. It's more like 340, hence the frequency is 50 * 340 = 17,000 Hz.

Bad day for arachnaphobics

[ciaohound]

Now it's levitating spiders? I am so screwed.

I'll believe it

[kick_in_the_eye]

when pigs fly