Probably none of us will deny that many discoveries of modern science have stepped over the edge of science fiction. After all, many things familiar to a modern person, such as robots, mobile phones, satellites, etc., first appeared in the ardent imagination of talented science fiction writers who, as it were, became prophets of the future. But, despite this, there are still many unsolved things in the world that make it mysterious and mysterious. One of such phenomena, practically unattainable in the opinion of modern science, is nothing more than antigravity or the so-called zero gravity.
With the onset of the th century, the "century of great discoveries", in particular the quantum world, allowed us to seriously think about this problem. Newtonian physics seemed wretched and imperfect in comparison with the world of elementary particles, where teleportation and anti-gravity were as commonplace as a body falling to the ground in our world of macro parameters. However, the question was not even raised about the use of previously unknown properties on larger objects than positrons and electrons.
Of course, many people tried to realize what gravity really is in different ways. In the 19th century, theories of gravity were created based on the concept of ether - a universal medium that fills all space. Particles of ether strike from all sides evenly, but from the side of the Earth some of them are delayed, and therefore we are pushed towards the Earth by particles from other directions. This theory is very clear, but it leads to an insoluble problem within its framework with the explanation of the absence of heating of the planets due to the bombardment of ether particles. Nevertheless, the aetheric theory is still alive in some circles far from academic science.
In the th century, Einstein tried to give a deeper explanation of gravity, replacing the concept of the gravitational field with the concept of the curvature of space near a massive body. In a curved space, natural motion is also curved, uneven, the bodies seem to naturally slide into a spatial hole and no fields need to be introduced. This idea has created fertile ground for the intellectual games of theoretical physicists studying the stars and the Universe, and they have been playing them with enthusiasm for almost a century. These games have benefited astronomy, triggering a number of discoveries, the most interesting of which are black holes, which can be tunnels in space-time leading to other worlds. Some of the observed astronomical objects in a number of signs really look like black holes, but it is not yet possible to directly prove this. However, for terrestrial practitioners, this theory did not give anything new, in comparison with Newton's ideas, neither in calculations, nor in explanations, since there are no other possibilities to bend space, except with the help of very large masses, in Einstein's theory.
About a few years ago, there were reports of a possible violation of the law of gravitation on the scale of the solar system, when data were obtained about unexplained changes in the nature of the movement of 4 space probes that reached the edges of the solar system. Researchers from NASA found that the speed of the probes is decreasing faster than it follows from Newton's law, which indicates the action of a force of unknown origin. One of the probes is Pioneer-10, which was launched to the outer planets of the solar system in 1972, is now behind Jupiter, but is still available for radio communication with the Earth. By studying the Doppler frequency shift of the radio signal coming from the probe, the scientists were able to calculate how fast the ship moves through space. Its trajectory has been closely monitored since 1980. It turned outthat the Pioneer-10 slows down much faster than it should. Initially, it was assumed that this could be due to the force arising from small gas leaks, or that the ship is deviated from the course under the influence of the gravity of an invisible body in the solar system.
Then analysis of the trajectory of another ship, Pioneer 11, launched in 1973, showed that this probe was also under the influence of the same mysterious force. It was then that it became clear that scientists were faced with the influence of some force unknown to science: after all, "Pioneer-11" was located at the opposite end of the solar system from "Pioneer-10" and therefore the same unknown body could not influence it. In addition, there is an assumption that the same force acted on the ship "Galileo" on its way to Jupiter and on the probe "Ulysses" when it made a flight around the sun. The probe can change its speed only due to the release of matter, for example, due to the evaporation of something from it. However, taking into account possible phenomena of this kind did not give a satisfactory quantitative explanation of the effect, and the only explanation is the change in the force of attraction. Opponents argue that the change in gravity should have affected the motion of distant planets, which is clearly not observed.
Data on the quantitative values of deviations from Newton's law were not reported in the general press, but, most likely, we can talk about small amendments to the law of gravitation, so this is unlikely to affect the problem of antigravity on Earth. Direct measurements of the forces of attraction between massive balls in normal terrestrial conditions have been carried out repeatedly, and Newton's formula has been confirmed with high accuracy. Some time ago, it was reported about attempts to detect antigravity on the scale of galaxies (megaworld). The fact is that astronomers have long established the fact that galaxies are moving away from each other. According to the Big Bang hypothesis based on Einstein's theory, such a recession is due to the inflation of space-time, which began from the moment the universe was formed. It is like a condom with a drawing: it is inflated and the details of the drawing scatter. But there is also a more physical hypothesis based on the assumption that there is energy in space that causes antigravity. Regions with such energy should be located between galaxies and not directly observed, but should have a pushing effect on galaxies and cause curvature of the paths of light rays passing near. Confirmation of the existence of antigravity in space would, of course, be a great scientific discovery, although it is problematic to talk about its impact on Earth technology, since the scales of distances on Earth are completely different.but should have a repulsive effect on galaxies and cause curvature of the paths of light rays passing near. Confirmation of the existence of antigravity in space would, of course, be a great scientific discovery, although it is problematic to talk about its impact on Earth technology, since the scales of distances on Earth are completely different.but should have a repulsive effect on galaxies and cause curvature of the paths of light rays passing near. Confirmation of the existence of antigravity in space would, of course, be a great scientific discovery, although it is problematic to talk about its impact on Earth technology, since the scales of distances on Earth are completely different.
So it seems that the existing physics of gravity puts a fat end to the attempts to develop any ideas of antigravity. It is no coincidence that in respectable academic scientific communities, antigravity projects still belong to the same category as projects to create perpetual motion machines. This analogy is not accidental. Indeed, if by simple means it was possible to learn how to turn on and off gravity, then it would be easy to build a generator that receives energy simply from the Earth's gravitational field: we take a massive load connected by a rod to the axis of an electric generator, turn off gravity, raise the load to a great height and turn on gravity, load falls and turns the rotor of the generator, then the cycle repeats. Since the gravitational field is determined only by the mass of the Earth and cannot change, an inexhaustible energy resource is clearly visible here. And nothing inexhaustible in nature, as experience teaches, does not exist. This means that the assumption of the possibility of simple control of gravity contradicts the law of conservation of energy, which is the cornerstone of science. So it's impossible to control gravity for free. But there are individuals who are trying to refute this.
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In the second half of the 20th century, inventors switched to experiments with rotating electromagnetic fields. Of the messages that have appeared in the press on this topic, three works can be distinguished: John Searle, Yuri Baurov and Yevgeny Podkletnov, since they, firstly, got into serious scientific journals and, secondly, these works continue to this day, despite to scandals and harsh criticism.
In 1946, John Searle announced his discovery of the fundamental nature of magnetism. He found that adding a small AC component of radio frequency (~ 10 MHz) in the process of making permanent ferrite magnets gives them new and unexpected properties, namely, when such magnets interact, incomprehensible forces arose, leading to unusual movements of the magnet system. Searle developed a generator from these magnets and began experiments with it. The generator was tested outdoors and was driven by a small motor. It produced an unusually high electrostatic potential of the order of a million volts (he claims), which manifested itself through electrostatic discharges near the generator. One day the unexpected happened. The generator, without ceasing to rotate, began to rise up,detached from the engine and soared about 50 feet. Here it hovered a little, its rotation speed began to increase, and it began to emit a pinkish glow around itself, indicating the ionization of the air. The radio receiver located next to the researcher turned on spontaneously, apparently due to powerful discharges. Eventually, the generator accelerated to high speed and disappeared from view, probably going into space. In any case, his fall was not found. Since 1952 Searle and his team have manufactured and tested over 10 generators, the largest of which was disc-shaped and up to 10 m in diameter. Searle refused to publish his research in scientific publications, but agreed to cooperate with the Japanese professor Seiko Shinichi and provided him with a description of the main points of the magnet manufacturing technology. In 1984 Searl's work was reported by the German popular science magazine Raum & Zait. Searle is currently retired and does not appear to be involved in projects.
Searle's ideas have attracted enthusiasts in different countries, including Russia, where they are being developed privately by several research groups, although official science refrains from commenting. Therefore, quite unexpected was the appearance in 2000 in the reputable scientific physics journal Letters to V. V. Roshchina, S. M. Godin from the Institute for High Temperatures, Moscow, under the title "Experimental Study of Physical Effects in a Dynamic Magnetic System". They described a variant of Searle's generator that they had developed and the unusual results and strange effects obtained with it. One of the results was a 35% reduction in the weight of the installation, which weighs 350 kg. Later, the authors released a book detailing the experiments and their own theory of the phenomenon. We could not find any information on the continuation of this work.
Another direction of research in the field of overcoming the force of gravity is associated with Yu. A. Baurov. More than 20 years ago, while analyzing astronomical data, he put forward a hypothesis about the existence of a fundamental vector potential in our galaxy. As is known from physics, the vector potential is a directly unobservable physical quantity, the gradient of which (that is, spatial inhomogeneity) manifests itself as a magnetic field. Using magnetic systems that create a large intrinsic vector potential, and orienting it relative to the potential of the Universe, one can obtain large forces and use them to overcome gravitation. According to this hypothesis, a dedicated direction should exist in space, and the maximum force effects should be observed precisely in this direction. Baurov set up several experiments to confirm his theory, which he described in 1998 in his book "The Structure of Physical Space and a New Way of Getting Energy". Apparently, this is the only one of all lines of research that uses a sound idea that does not contradict scientific positions. Nothing is known about the continuation of these studies.
The last of the works on antigravity, which became sensational, is associated with the name of the Russian physicist Yevgeny Podkletny, who left for Finland in the 90s. He studied the properties of superconductors and in 1992 experimented with a device that used a superconducting ceramic disk cooled with liquid nitrogen and spun up to a speed of five thousand revolutions per minute. In one of his experiments, Podkletnov noticed that a plume of smoke from his colleague's cigarette suddenly rose more sharply to the ceiling above the disc. Subsequent measurements recorded a 2% weight loss for any items placed over the disc. Gravity shielding was even found on the next floor of the lab. Unfortunately, all subsequent attempts to repeat Podkletnov's experiments have failed. The scandal that arose around an unexpected sensation cost Podkletnov his scientific career,and to numerous followers - a lot of money wasted. NASA spent 600 thousand dollars to create its own installation, but in the end its experts said that the method of the Russian scientist was initially flawed.
Nevertheless, enthusiasts of this direction of anti-gravity remain. As the BBC agency reported, with reference to the almanac Jane's Defense Weekly, the American firm Boeing has come to grips with the work of Podkletnov in order to independently decide how much you can believe various rumors and newspaper ducks. The point is that the Podkletny effect has some theoretical justification. Back in 1989, the American researcher Dr. Ning Li, who works at the Space Flight Center. Marshall, theoretically predicted that a well-untwisted superconductor, placed in a powerful magnetic field, can become a source of a gravitational field, and the strength of this field will be sufficient for measurements in laboratory conditions. In 1997, Ning Li began developing a facility that would be the world's largest anti-gravity generator. The disc in its unit will have a diameter of at least 33 cm and a thickness of 12.7 mm. Podkletnov himself, according to the German newspaper "Sueddeutsche Zeitung", is working on a new device that does not shield, but reflects gravity, and does it in a pulsed mode. In his opinion, the pulsed gravity generator will soon "be able to overturn a book at a distance of one kilometer." He predicts the emergence of a new type of small aircraft. In general, the story with Podkletnov is still ongoing.the pulsed gravity generator will soon "be able to knock over a book at a distance of one kilometer." He predicts the emergence of a new type of small aircraft. In general, the story with Podkletnov is still ongoing.the pulsed gravity generator will soon "be able to knock over a book at a distance of one kilometer." He predicts the emergence of a new type of small aircraft. In general, the story with Podkletnov is still ongoing.
Carefully examining historical data, we can assume that antigravity in nature rather exists than vice versa, but its mechanism is still completely unclear. The state of the art with experiments to control the weight of objects is in no way satisfactory. It is also quite surprising that, despite the large number of cases of evidence of levitation, apparently, no one has succeeded in fully studying this phenomenon, which allows skeptics to reasonably doubt the reality of the existence of this phenomenon. But the following analogy with ball lightning can be brought to this. Even 50 years ago, scientists were skeptical about eyewitness testimony, believing that this is some kind of visual phenomenon that occurs during a thunderstorm. Now the number of observations has passed a certain threshold,and no one doubts the existence of the phenomenon. But this did not change anything - as before, there is still no complete explanation of the nature of the phenomenon and no one has managed to conduct a rigorous experimental study of it! Professor Kapitsa tried to simulate ball lightning in the laboratory, and even at first he obtained plausible plasma balls, but this work was not continued, and the mystery of natural ball lightning remains unsolved.