Antigravity

Antigravity - or anti-gravity - is one of the staple technologies of science fiction that could have immense benefits if turned into science fact. It is often discussed in the context of space travel (some think that UFOs might use antigravity drives and that the US government has captured a UFO with such a drive) however the impact would perhaps be even more powerful here on Earth. A clean, simple antigravity mechanism would make air travel much cheaper and cleaner, cutting the need for carbon based fuels. It could also be applied to other surface transport to make it cleaner and cheaper by reducing friction.

A practical antigravity device would have huge social and environmental benefits - and also be extremely valuable. It's no surprise that so many enthusiasts have spent and are spending so much time researching this area. But is antigravity really possible or are they wasting their time?

Force Fields

The concept of anti-gravity seems logical at first sight: if gravity is another force like electricity or magnetism then it should be possible to control that force. Most antigravity experiments aim to either "shield" against gravity or control it so that it works for rather than against us.

The problem is that nobody really knows what gravity is. This strange "force" so far eludes a unified theory and remains distinct from the three fundamental electrical, magnetic and the nuclear forces. It may well be that gravity is not a force as such but instead a result of the geometry of the universe as postulated by Einstein. If so then most of the popular antigravity ideas would be doomed to fail.

Does Antigravity Exist?

Despite this theoretical problem, many researchers continue to investigate antigravity (or at least "gravity control" if not zero gravity). Some even claim to have achieved it and to have built what they claim to be antigravity devices.

Many of these so called antigravity devices do not control or negate gravity but simply compensate for or oppose it by the use of an electromagnetic force. That doesn't mean these devices are useless, far from it. However in general they are not "true" antigravity.

Another commonly seen form of antigravity machine is based on the peculiar properties of the gyroscope. Such machines are truly amazing and certainly appear to be defying gravity. However many of those who understand such things say that in fact gravity is still at work and simply compensated for by the other forces interacting in the system.

Of course, to some the contradiction between antigravity and relativity is not a problem: they point out that no scientific theory is perfect and that relativity is already in conflict with quantum mechanics.

Many scientists look down at antigravity research in the same way that they do at attempts to create perpetual motion or cold fusion. Maybe they're right and antigravity as such is a theoretical impossibility. But just think what other wonderous discoveries might be made by these maverick researchers whilst they poke at the the edges of accepted science.