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British Scientists Reverse Casimir Effect

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the where's-my-hover-car dept.

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."

8 of 347 comments (clear)

  1. *applause* by thatskinnyguy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Nicola Tesla would be proud. This sounds like all the electrical field tuning he did back in the 1800's only on a smaller scale and for different purposes.

    Modulating fields like this seems to me to be some sort of thrusting action although they don't come out and say it.

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    The game.
  2. Re:They'd better be careful by Jayemji · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Not thinking big enough. Try the ground level of a skycraper. Now THAT'S messy.

  3. When I hear 'Casimir', I think 'Zero Point'... by Remus+Shepherd · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am a physicist, but these subjects are often beyond me. Still, let me try a short explanation. This seems, to me, rather an important discovery.

    The Casimir effect happens when you get two surfaces very nearly touching. Virtual particles emerge on the other side of the surfaces and force them together. Virtual particles being, well, virtual -- very short-lived and low-energy -- this effect only occurs when the surfaces are very, very close to one another.

    What's intriguing about the Casimir effect is that it is extracting work from the zero point energy of the universe, the base energy field of empty space. (Yes, even a total vacuum contains virtual particles, and thus some energy.) It is not immediately obvious how to make this useful, however, if the only way to tap into the zero point energy is to destructively sandwich two expensive materials together.

    Reversing the Casimir effect is brilliant. By placing a perfect lens between the two materials, the virtual particles create a repulsive force. This could, as stated, create a levitation effect by preventing the surfaces from ever touching. 'Levitation' is a strong word, though. It'll 'levitate' a nanometer or so above the other surface, which is only good for reducing the friction between them to zero. So 'frictionless surfaces' is probably the keyword we should be using here.

    I'm intrigued because it would seem to be easier to generate power from the zero point energy with a repulsive effect than an attractive one. So this could also be the first step toward a zero point energy generator -- free energy. What will they think of next...

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    Genocide Man -- Life is funny. Death is funnier. Mass murder can be hilarious.
    1. Re:When I hear 'Casimir', I think 'Zero Point'... by 4D6963 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm intrigued because it would seem to be easier to generate power from the zero point energy with a repulsive effect than an attractive one. So this could also be the first step toward a zero point energy generator -- free energy. What will they think of next...

      My thoughts exactly, although I found myself unable to word them thusly, which brings us to this inevitable question : Wouldn't it violate the second law of thermodynamics?

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      You just got troll'd!
    2. Re:When I hear 'Casimir', I think 'Zero Point'... by vigmeister · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Wouldn't it violate the second law of thermodynamics? I'd assume there's no violation unless the surfaces move closer to each other as a result of the force since no work gets done. But the validity of that statement lies with my rephrased question: "Does any potential energy get 'created' in the process of increased attraction?"

      Cheers!
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      Vig

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      Atheist: Buddhist in a Prius
  4. Re:Requires a perfect lens by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Negative refractive index materials, called "lefthanded metamaterials" are already in use.

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    make install -not war

  5. Re:Using the force? by CmdrGravy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Sir Guiness


    In actual fact it's Sir Alec, if he was a Lord it would be Lord Guiness and if he was a King it would be King Alec.
  6. Re:huh? by Al+Al+Cool+J · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Yes, ha ha. But just so people don't get the wrong idea, apodyopsis wasn't starting a new sentence, but rather was using a question mark mid-sentence, which is perfectly allowed.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question_mark

    It can also be used mid-sentence to mark a merely interrogative phrase, where it functions similarly to a comma, such as in the single sentence "Where shall we go? and what shall we do?", but this usage is increasingly rare.