levitation. how'd they do it?

Question

david blaine and criss angel did it.
but how about that man who did the same thing infront of the white house last month?

Answer 1

It is a conjuring trick. The illusion can be produced by clever mechanics, lighting arrangements or other means. I've seen yoga masters in India do yogic flying, which is essentially the same thing in front of TImes Square and the Whitehouse. Pure physics entertainment!

On earth all that is required for levitation is a force vertically upwards equal to the object's weight. This can be achieved through many different means, for example magnetic, electrostatic (i.e. electrically charged objects) or aerodynamic forces. By means of magnetic levitation even small live animals have been levitated.

Scientists have discovered a way of levitating ultra small objects by manipulating the so-called Casimir force, which normally causes objects to stick together by quantum force. This practice however, is currently only possible for micro-objects.


Chris Angel shows you how to levitate here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqxk3tapmk&eurl=http://skepdic.com/levitat.html

and this video of Chris Angel is just cool:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZlIwcVAxZsU

The free Physics textbook downloadable here: http://www.motionmountain.net/ also explains levitation

Answer 2

Two ways. In the up close versions it is really pretty cheezy, yo just kind of tip over. They often wear a long coat tha has fake back legs and shoes attached to the back of the coat. Teh people who stand there amazed at how good it looks are paid by the performer.

Now, when you see the person floating on air, that is just trick photography. Oh they always say that "no camera tricks are used" but that promise isn't worth anything. There is no law about lying on tv, it's just an entertainment show.

There is no real talent, it's all fake.

Answer 3

They never levitated at all. There tricks only work well on camera. Some of the tricks these guys do falls under the category of an illusion of a great illusion. That is, they dont really do the trick even, they just convince the telvision audience that they did the trick.
You see the people who are there in person, all amazed and excited and you see what could easily be done with hollywood magic. Everyone involved claims it really happened. Everyone at home watching on tv believes that it really happened. thats all.

Answer 4

I know what they do is fake...but years ago we lived in a house where a psychic had lived before . (We didn't know it). One night my son came up off the bed..at least a foot..while he was asleep. I had to push him back down. (Believe it or not...it's true) I wasn't scared then...but am now!! I didn't tell him about it for years. Guess there was a spirit in there we didn't know about.
EDIT...I do know that my son can do the levitation thing with his feet enough to fool others here. But ..he said it's on You Tube showing how to do it.. He said when criss angel goes way up...it's because he has a chain pulling him up and tricks with the camera and the crowd goes along with it. He's just guessing about this.

Answer 5

Levitation is physically impossible. What you saw was an illusion, a trick. Magicians do this all the time.

Answer 6

I saw a David Blaine special where he would rise on one foot, the camera would cut away to shocked looks and then back to his feet much further off the ground. It's all about the editing. He was being raised by a crane.

Answer 7

It's all a sham.

Answer 8

Illusionism tchecnics.

By the way, could someone tell me more about this guy infront of the white house? what happened?