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Scientists Levitate Mice for NASA
sterlingda writes to tell us that scientists have built a mouse-levitating superconducting magnet, working on behalf of NASA to study variable levels of gravity. The group hopes to ascertain what physiological impacts prolonged exposure to microgravity might have. "Repeated levitation tests showed the mice, even when not sedated, could quickly acclimate to levitation inside the cage. After three or four hours, the mice acted normally, including eating and drinking. The strong magnetic fields did not seem to have any negative impacts on the mice in the short term, and past studies have shown that rats did not suffer from adverse effects after 10 weeks of strong, non-levitating magnetic fields."
Why no video?
Flying mice on youtube would bring more media coverage of this.
Ok... I know I should be more attentive but when I first read that headline I thought;
Scientists Levitate Miss USA
That would be something... Maybe they can just levitate that dress...
From the other perspective, could this technology be used to add "gravity" (or a downward force equal to the Earth's gavity at the crust) in space? ...an alternative to centripetal force?