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British Scientists Reverse Casimir Effect

An anonymous reader writes "The Telegraph reports that Scientists at the University of St. Andrews have developed a technique to cause the Casimir effect to repel instead of attract. This discovery could lead to near frictionless machines or in theory even levitation."

15 of 347 comments (clear)

  1. Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Gasp, that means we will have to repel one of the laws of seance.

  2. casmir by edittard · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm not a big fan of knitwear at the best of times.

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  3. Re:uplifting by IBBoard · · Score: 5, Funny

    Depends how you look at it - pessimists will see the lower atom being depressed ;)

  4. Using the force? by therufus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Micro or nano machines could run smoother and with less or no friction at all if one can manipulate the force. Obi-Wan was right after all! I can become a Jedi!

    So was it only me that heard Sir Alec Guinness read that line out?
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  5. huh? by apodyopsis · · Score: 5, Funny

    What is this? a spelling contest or a discussion about a new scientific discovery?

    Sheesh. Anybody would think /. is populated purely by obsessive pedants with nothing better to do.

    oh..

    1. Re:huh? by Ciarang · · Score: 5, Funny

      You need a capital A to start a new sentence.

    2. Re:huh? by Duhavid · · Score: 5, Funny

      AI want to start a new sentence. Aso, I need a capital A.
      AI did not know that. AI'm glad you were here to point that out!

      Abye.

      APS:, AWhy didn't your sentence start with a capital A?

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  6. Re:ummmm? by itsdapead · · Score: 5, Funny

    im baffled how this works.. any insight?

    I assume it involves a cat with a piece of buttered toast strapped to its back...

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  7. Re:wait... by MrNaz · · Score: 5, Funny

    No, the OP was right. They're repealing attraction. Don't know why they took so long, Slashdotters repealed attraction years ago.

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  8. In Theory by j00r0m4nc3r · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hereby theorize that cramming peanuts into your arsehole will cause levitation.

    There, now that I've officially theorized this, I can say, "In theory, cramming peanuts into your arsehole will cause levitation." and it's perfectly true.

  9. Casimir effect allows geckos to walk on ceiling by mrjb · · Score: 5, Funny

    FTA: "The force is due to neither electrical charge or gravity, for example, but the fluctuations in all-pervasive energy fields in the intervening empty space between the objects and is one reason atoms stick together, also explaining a "dry glue" effect that enables a gecko to walk across a ceiling." ... and now that scientists have figured out how to reverse the Casimir effect, this will soon enable geckos to walk on the floor.

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  10. Re:ummmm? by IBBoard · · Score: 5, Funny

    That would repel from the floor, but not from another cat with another slice of buttered toast strapped to its back (which is what this can potentially do).

    From what I remember of the buttered toast cat, doesn't it end up spinning just above the floor as the cat tries to land feet-first and the toast tries to land butter-side down? If so then why is no-one wrapping these cats in wire, putting them between magnets and throwing them off surfaces en-mass to generate electricity while they spin?

  11. Re:Disintegrators by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 5, Funny

    "What happens if all the molecules in your body suddenly repels eachother?"

    Okay, that's a good safety tip. Don't cross the streams!

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  12. Re:Not a high point in science journalism by TALlama · · Score: 5, Funny

    Far from the kinds of stuff you see stage magicians do.

    I assure you, Ladies and Gentlemen of the audience, this gigantic crate is levitating! Between it and the stage are entire nanometers of magic.

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  13. Re:wait... by russ1337 · · Score: 5, Funny

    >>> the whole world is not American you know

    That depends on who is defining "world".