Blog @ NanoVic - Nanotechnology Blog

The unique manner in which Gecko’s can stick themselves to surfaces is often discussed in relation to nanotechnology, with the mechanism being a function of Casimir Forces arising from quantum-mechanical effects.  Scientists in the UK are now using the same principle but in reverse, which can cause objects to levitate rather than stick together!  Professor Ulf Leonhardt and Dr Thomas Philbin from St Andrews University say that by reversing the effects of Casimir Forces, friction between objects can be significantly reduced or eliminated, thereby enabling micro- and nano-machinery to run more smoothly. This could potentially improve the performance of everyday objects such as car airbags, computer chips and even those medical devices using lab-on-a-chip technology.  Unfortunately, due to the small scale of the quantum forces, this effect is currently only seen at the micro- and nano-scale.  I’m still holding out for the time when human levitation is on the horizon!