Scientists Levitate Small Animals

I'm failing to see the scientific gain of testing this on a fish. I mean, we've all had our "I wonder what would happen if ....." but that doesn't mean we have to act on it. I'm curious as to whether bombarding these animals with ultrasonic waves damaged or killed any of them, I didn't see the "no animals were harmed....." sentence anywhere. Don't get me wrong, if it can save lives, I'm all for humane animal testing, but I don't quite understand the point of this.

If you are trying to free willy of water supply him with a

water re-breather as in futurama

all for humane testing

Humane treatment for ants and spiders. Give me a Break!

Sure, give you a break. Where should we draw the line? Clearly they felt fish are ok. How about mice? Cats? Dogs? It's a slippery slope when we start to view any life as unworthy of our compassion. These animals weren't used for any scientific purpose, they were used to get attention, to get press, and to me thats morally questionable. Its a circus approach to science and I don't approve.

I see where you are coming from Roger, but there are actually quite a few applications for an ultrasounic wave with pushing forces. One that comes to mind is drug delivery. An ultrasonic wave could be used to "push" a capsule through a blood vessel towards it's intended target. This would be great because a) ultrasonic waves have to be pretty powerful to harm tissue so this is non-invasive and b) the waves could also give visual feedback of the capsule and surrounding environment while they were "pushing" it. Another is that the ultrasonic waves could be used to replace magnets in many applications where there are magnetic opposition forces. The ultrasonic waves would not have the same disruptive effect of electromagnetic waves on electronics.

I agree with you, I'm sure there are uses. I just fail to see what they gain by putting a spider or ant there, besides attention.

My guess, and this is just a guess, is that these are tests to make sure that the ultrasound waves don't harm biological tissue. So, instead of jumping straight to say, a mouse, they are trying it out on a spider first. Also, perhaps anything heavier than a very small fish is too large for their apparatus.

You could be right though, it could just be a play for attention. Having a cool video of a spider flailing its legs around in midair could mean more media attention, more media attention means more grant money. It's unfortunate that scientists have to play this game to get funding, and even more unfortunate when animals are sacrificed to these ends.

I'm not going to get up in arms about spiders and ants, or even fish being manipulated though. When they start putting rats or dogs in there, that's the time to be concerned that something might be awry in their ethical oversight.

Fair enough. I did like the idea of trying it on politicians.

Haha, you and me both.

Roger did you know that the collective noun for polititians is "a lack of principles"

It seems to me that they are working on a new party drug.You get high and stay there and once down you will not be addicted. Jimi would have loved it on stage and it cost him his life in trying to do so. The trumpets of Jericho (sound wave experiment) tried to do it and it ended in ruins.

Experimenting with anything will never be completly regulated. The outcome of a well prepared experiment will always justify any further R&D and what ever it takes or needs to keep going on the road to discovery. If they can test it on animals, they will. They could be doing it right now. Well, I would feel like two children in a lolly shop and would try anything, even self testing. But then again thinking of my kidney stone removal (sound wave experiment) I'd better not.

If they could get it to the size of a matchbox it could be used as a partical remover. Glas spinters after car crashes comes to mind.

Would an insect try to cling to the flaoting ball or would it be just a moon trying to get home?

The food can was invented way before the can opener. So good luck to them and may they know when to stop. Ky.

Hmmm, cool!

I wonder if you could levitate something such as say, A FUSION REACTION?

I suggest that we levitate all of our politicians. This would serve two purposes: 1. They'd be in a better position for us to worship them, as we all seem to need, and, 2. They would be unable to do anything, which could just save the planet.

Perhaps we could use the Ultrasonics to push down the debt as well ;-)

Levitating an elephant would make a great circus act! Call Wringling Bros...

Mint Condition here. Okay, so this seems "far fetched". Here is another view for considerations. I have been a medic for close to 33 years now, and ther has been many a time where I could have really really used something like this to either move and ovesized patient for whatever reason, or used something like this to make the extrication of an injured victim of a terrible vehicle accident back uphill 200 feet to my waiting ambulance. I can see some great applications in the real world of rescue operations whereby objects could be moved to release an entrapped individual. I can think of a few times where I could have used something like this to assist in moving a piece of equipment in the fire stations as well. I once considered developing a small inflatable mat whereby it could be used with helium to slip under a patient to transfer them from the bottom of the bathtub or floor then to the gurney. Then I found out how dangerous that compound is. So you see, I think this is a good thing to explore, perhaps it just isn't right for our era.

What is dangerous about Helium??

The use of living tissue is poaramount to demonstrating the capacity to utilize this technology on such. Since politicians, the general public, and apparently some of you, lack the acumen and vision, a demonstration on a living subject they can relate to is necessary. If you levitate a piece of hamburger, people will be disinterested in funding such research and make assumptions like you used nonliving tissues because it is dangerous or impossible to use on living animals. Ants and fish are small, light, and still living. Eventually this can lead to larger animals after necessary refinement and safety protocols are institued, eventually humans. Animal testing for something this ground breaking makes more sense than the testing required to satisfy the degree of safety expected by most women from their mascara or lipstick. However, I am sure they would most assuredly like to work with a human subject, assuming they could get the government to allow it, and if anyone would be willing to substitute themselves for a fish, this would be acceptable in my perspective.

It is so interesting that I what to know more about ultrasound, but used in medical domain, for my finally project on faculty, if don't ask you to much. Actually I just want to give me some ideas because it is huge domain and my project most to have also an concret machine and I am very confused. I am sorry for disturbing you...