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Hey, we've seen Superman do it. We've
seen David Blaine do
it (and then have Chris Angel subsequently show us how he faked it, of
course). Of course, Regan floats during her
exorcism as well.
 We CANNOT forget Underdog! ...via JRJ Socrates
And that's all well and entertaining, but physics
has pretty much ruled out levitation as a scientific capability.
Well, sort of.
There is still a working theory as to how to get oneself
literally 'head-over-heels.' And there have been a few notable occurrences of
objects (not people) defying gravity.
Stick around and you could learn how to change light bulbs without a
step-stool, or start
hustling basketball like your 1990's Woody Harrelson.
 ...via Hot Shoe Blog
Though, I don't recommend trying
this at home…if only because you'll make things really awkward.
Levitation
is a metaphysical act of raising an object into the air without the use of
illusion, trickery, or a physical process. As such, levitation is a product of
psychokinesis-the ability to manipulate objects or events with thoughts.
Pyschokinesis itself is largely considered a pseudoscience, and if proven
accurate it would refute basic physicals
laws like the inverse square law, the second law of thermodynamics, and the
conservation of momentum. Essentially, everything we've ever known would be
shot to sh!t.
Yet there are a few individuals with telekinetic powers.
Nina Kulagina, a Soviet housewife, demonstrated enough
paranormal ability during The Cold War to become a concern for the U.S.
Department of Defense. Let's not forget that The Men Who Stare at Goats
was a real U.S. military initiative.
 ...via Military Waste
But because psychokinesis is hard to replicate, and is a
rare, innate characteristic amongst the human population, it remains
fictionalized. The same remains true for levitation.
Religions purport the most accounts of levitation,
regardless of their divine beliefs. Christianity provides the highest number of
levitating disciples, with a
number of saints granted the power. Hinduism supports the belief that some
gurus and masters of yoga achieve the power to levitate via meditation. Yogi
Pullavar levitated in front of a crowd
of 150 people in 1936, while newspaper reporters were encouraged to take
pictures and search the area for wires or other indications of a hoax. None
were found.
 Yogi Pullavar levitation, 1936 ...via Weird Asia News
Spiritual mediums are a common source of levitation reports.
Daniel Dunglas Home is reportedly known to fly in and
out of buildings through adjacent windows.
Many mediums face speculations, and
Home was not excused from such, though no significant evidence in favor or
against his powers was ever lodged.
(Para mis amigos entienden espanol, un video en Homes).
Yet there remains a scientific theory in which levitation
remains fathomable.
Enter the Casimir force. This force has the ability to push
together two non-conductive, low-mass metal objects together in a vacuum. All possible
wavelengths occur in the vacuum, but only a certain denomination of wavelength
is allowed between the objects. The wavelengths between the objects are a
smaller infinity than those outside the plates, resulting in a quantum pressure
that slowly attracts the objects.
 Casimir effect illustrated...via St. Andrews UK
There are two plans to turn the Casimir force into a
repelling force. Researchers at St. Andrew's University believe placing a
metamaterial between the objects will produce a negative refractive index, repelling the plates away from each other. The researchers admit that it likely won't
happen anytime soon, but at least they're on the right path.
The second, more developed way of utilizing the Casimir
effect for levitation has been under study at the University of California
Riverside. By increasing the reflectivity of the objects, the quantum pressure
is increased. Apparently this is the first step towards further manipulation of
the Casimir effect. To
wit: "Calculations show that a repulsive Casimir force could be set up
between a gold-coated polystyrene sphere and a Teflon plate, if they're
immersed in ethanol." Furthermore:
"Although the Casimir force between any two substances-the ethanol and gold,
the gold and the Teflon, or the Teflon and the ethanol-is positive, the
relative strengths of attraction are different, and when you add combine them,
you should see the gold sphere levitate." (sic)
 A gold sphere and a nano-fabricated silicon swing form a cavity, utilizing the Casimir effect for attraction--and eventually repulsion...via St. Andrews UK
Booya gravity!
No matter, we're still quite a ways from seeing people
undisputedly fly. I may be buying into the Spiderman hysteria a bit, but with
great power comes great responsibility, and the world in which this technology
is fully developed will be a far different-and perhaps dangerous-place than it
is today.
 The future will be filled with levitating wolves. Whole packs of them! ...via Flickr
Yet I can't help but feel enlightened by this technology (*self-congratulatory snicker*). One day my kids are going to be flying around
to school. Goodbye morning drive!
Until then, there are a few other options. You can take up yogic hopping, which is
supposedly the first step towards levitating. And I hear Yoda is giving out levitation lessons.
Resources
Wikipedia - Levitation; Psychokinesis; Yogi Pullavar; Zero-Point Energy
Youtube - How the Casimir effect works
Solreka.com - An introduction to Zero Point Energy - The fuel source of tomorrow
Life in the Fast Lane - Breaking Methods to Levitate Discovered
St. Andrews University - Quantum Levitation
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