Frog Defies Gravity
May 15, 2009 11:52 AM   Subscribe

Scientists at the University of Nottingham and the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands have levitated a frog with a big magnet. Video
posted by pashdown (40 comments total)

This post was deleted for the following reason: I think floating frogs are pretty awesome, for the record, but a short science blurb from the 90s and brief youtube clip doesn't add up to a very strong post. -- cortex



 
I remember as a kid seeing people do this kind of thing with superconductors. It always seems to be frogs and not other animals like mice.
posted by delmoi at 11:54 AM on May 15, 2009


Not news.
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 11:55 AM on May 15, 2009 [2 favorites]


Finally, just what we need to get this economy back on track . . . levitating frogs.
posted by Outlawyr at 11:56 AM on May 15, 2009


I was expecting a Mark Twain influence here... but apparently the frog wasn't filled up.

Kind of neat...
posted by inthe80s at 12:00 PM on May 15, 2009


According to the dateline on the article, they levitated the frog in 1997. I sure hope they've let it down by now.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:00 PM on May 15, 2009 [2 favorites]


We must be in a Mefi Timewarp. Is this the best of MeFi in honor of the 10th?
posted by JJ86 at 12:01 PM on May 15, 2009


It was only when frogs were brought aboard the Space Shuttle that scientists discovered that they vomit. They accomplish this by throwing up their entire stomachs (which inverts itself), scraping out the contents, and then reswallowing the stomach.

This may be apocryphal.
posted by backseatpilot at 12:02 PM on May 15, 2009 [3 favorites]


With this levitating-frog technology, I can conquer the world !!

Wait... did I say that out loud?
posted by Joe Beese at 12:11 PM on May 15, 2009 [2 favorites]


Those fools at the academy laughed at my work! Laughed!!
posted by Naberius at 12:13 PM on May 15, 2009 [3 favorites]


Great. Soon the world will be full of levitating frog vomit. Just what we need.
posted by RussHy at 12:14 PM on May 15, 2009


Wow... That article is from 12 years ago! MeFi wasn't even created then!

Which, I guess, reduces the chances that this is a double post.... Genius!
posted by splice at 12:14 PM on May 15, 2009 [2 favorites]


This calls to mind the old (Buddhist?) story of the guy who spent decades learning how to walk on water, only to be told by his master that he could have achieved the same end by giving two copper pieces to the local ferryman.

(Though I am sure it will have wonderful as yet unseen practical ramifications down the road, so two cheers for that at least.)
posted by IndigoJones at 12:15 PM on May 15, 2009


You know, it's 12 years later, and we still don't have hovercars.

I must register my disappointment.
posted by WalterMitty at 12:16 PM on May 15, 2009


It's a cookbook!
posted by DU at 12:23 PM on May 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


this is one of those posts where its not even necessary to follow the link - the idea is so cute it automatically cheered me up
posted by facetious at 12:38 PM on May 15, 2009


Since the dawn of time mankind has dreamed of a world where frogs levitate.
posted by Hovercraft Eel at 12:41 PM on May 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


In Soviet Russia, frogs levitate you!
posted by Outlawyr at 12:41 PM on May 15, 2009


Meanwhile, eels have been hovering for some time.
posted by NationalKato at 12:42 PM on May 15, 2009 [1 favorite]


The AP article states that the scientists levitated the frog by subjecting it to "a magnetic field a million times stronger than that of the Earth.'' According to scientists, the frog "showed no signs of distress after floating in the air inside a magnetic cylinder.''

. I am not a trained scientist, but my reaction to that last statement is -- and I quote -- "Duh.'' I mean, of course the frog "showed no signs of distress'': It's a frog. Frogs are not known for their ability to show emotions; they are limited to essentially one facial expression, very much like Jean-Claude Van Damme. What did these scientists expect the frog to do? Cry? Hop around on their computer keyboard and spell out the words "I AM EXPERIENCING DISTRESS''?


-Dave Barry, June 8, 1997

We're entering the time warp!


AGAIN!

posted by The Whelk at 12:49 PM on May 15, 2009


I smell amusement park ride.
posted by cmgonzalez at 12:57 PM on May 15, 2009


LEVITATING FROG SMASH PUNY SCIENTISTS!
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:00 PM on May 15, 2009


I smell amusement park ride.

I smell something else entirely, but let's just say it goes well with garlic butter and parsley.
posted by tommasz at 1:01 PM on May 15, 2009


OBEY LEVITOAD, PUNY EARTHMEN!
posted by Mister_A at 1:04 PM on May 15, 2009


He adds that the frog did not seem to suffer any ill effects: "It went back to its fellow frogs looking perfectly happy."

Until it used it's new-found mind powers to magnetically control the iron in their blood, and began a rule of terror and pain.
posted by FatherDagon at 1:04 PM on May 15, 2009


This isn't really about levitating frogs so much as it's about the next video where the frog explodes.
posted by secret about box at 1:04 PM on May 15, 2009


This isn't one of those Crazy Frog links, is it?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:09 PM on May 15, 2009


Frog has cancer now, no doubt.
posted by punkfloyd at 1:10 PM on May 15, 2009


Levitating grasshopper, strawberry and water droplets.
posted by ericb at 1:12 PM on May 15, 2009


Some news on the Nijmegen institute that preformed this experiment: A few months ago their special deal with the electricity company ended abruptly when the later was takenover by another bigger one. The institute lost its special deal and needs to start paying market rates for their not unsubstantial electrictricity bill. According to the institute the new cost, several hundred thousands euros, would be a big burden to carry and would really limit the amount of research they could conduct.........
posted by PaulZ at 1:13 PM on May 15, 2009


Boiling a frog -- it's a myth!

What Say We Boil a Consultant?
posted by ericb at 1:18 PM on May 15, 2009


AWESOME NEW FROG GAME (very mildly NSFW)
posted by mrmojoflying at 1:21 PM on May 15, 2009


Have you been exploding frogs again?
posted by loquacious at 1:28 PM on May 15, 2009


"If you have a magnet that is big enough, you could levitate a human"


You're welcome David Blaine.
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 1:38 PM on May 15, 2009


This led to Ande Geim and Michael Berry being awarded the 2000 Ig Nobel Prize for physics.
posted by MarcAbrahams at 1:58 PM on May 15, 2009


levitate trains, not frogs!!
posted by kuppajava at 2:09 PM on May 15, 2009


Bart: Homer, are you levitating toads?
Homer: I'm not not levitating toads.
posted by blue_beetle at 2:15 PM on May 15, 2009


I am not a trained scientist, but my reaction to that last statement is -- and I quote -- "Duh.'' I mean, of course the frog "showed no signs of distress'': It's a frog. Frogs are not known for their ability to show emotions; they are limited to essentially one facial expression, very much like Jean-Claude Van Damme. What did these scientists expect the frog to do? Cry? Hop around on their computer keyboard and spell out the words "I AM EXPERIENCING DISTRESS''?

My cat used to bring home frogs.... did you know that frogs can scream?
posted by geos at 2:22 PM on May 15, 2009


Frog scream. Oh, my!
posted by ericb at 2:34 PM on May 15, 2009


Is there any video that doesn't look like it was shot on a wristwatch?
posted by aaronetc at 2:37 PM on May 15, 2009


Wait... did I say that out loud?

No.
posted by nax at 2:39 PM on May 15, 2009


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