Superconduction levitation
This is just so cool to watch. A levatating magnet! It isn’t magic or science fiction, it’s just basic physics and the wonder of superconductivity.
The resulting repulsion is counteracted by the downward force of gravity and the magnet hovers neatly above the superconductor, at least until it warms to above its critical temperature.
Just for completeness, I should also point out that the magnet is effectively pinned in position by an effect known as flux pinning, which is caused by magnetic field lines getting snarled up by impurities in the superconductor. But, if you set the magnet spinning it will spin without friction (well not in this demo because there is air friction). Incidentally, this levitation effect has a serious application in some types of Mag-lev train.
Source: Levitation for real
Wow! Cool, eh? Okay we can’t do this at home, but the science behind this is going to be important in the near future. Of course we have to find more superconducting materials that don’t have to be chilled with liquid nitrogen to superconduct!
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