An innovative device created at the ETH Zurich has demonstrated the ability to manipulate small parts of objects, both solid and liquid, without the need for physical contact. By exploiting the pressure generated by sound waves, this device allows the levitation field to be modulated in time and space, thus paving the way for the simultaneous transport and manipulation of different objects. This innovative approach was described in the pages of the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” by Daniele Foresti and colleagues from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the ETH Zurich.
The device is able to move drops of molten metal alloys, moving them in space so as to mix them together. Other experiments have been conducted in the biological field, highlighting the advantages of levitation in DNA transfection, or the introduction of genetic material into cells, avoiding some problems that arise with traditional techniques.
But how does it work?
To simplify the process a lot, the object in suspension would be “held” by the pockets of acoustic pressure created inside the device. To be precise, the suspension is due to the standing waves that are created when the distance between the sound wave generator and the reflecting surface is equal to a multiple of half the wavelength used.
It is certainly an important achievement in the scientific field but not the first time that acoustic levitation enters our field of consciousness, according to various stories, legends and anecdotes from different eras and cultures.
Tibet
In his book “The lost techniques” (translation from the original title of Försvunnen Teknik), Henry Kjellson reports the experience of Dr. Jale, who allegedly witnessed Tibetan monks moving enormous boulders by means of sound waves. The whole thing supposedly happened during Dr. Jale’s stay at a Tibetan monastery where he was treating an old lama.
According to Kjellson, the monks used an ensemble of instruments including percussion, trumpets (dungchen) and voices to move huge boulders from the plain to the plateau where a new monastery was being built. The episode is told in great detail, from the number of instruments used to the distances between the musicians and the object to be moved. Jale also managed to film the extraordinary event, only to have the film confiscated and classified by the English company for which he worked. At the moment, we do not have irrefutable proof of this event. However, if it were true, these monks would have been the custodians of extraordinary knowledge. As Nikola Tesla stated, “If you want to discover the secrets of the Universe, begin to think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” By overcoming the illusory perception of the materiality of the universe and focusing on vibrations and energy, we might consider a phenomenon of this nature possible.
Egitto
According to some Arab legends, the ancient Egyptians were able to move objects with the power of thought, using the power of energy and vibrations.
These legends attribute to the ancient Egyptians a profound knowledge of the laws of energy, frequencies and vibrations. It was said that monks could apply this knowledge to move enormous stones for the construction of monuments or to perform acts of magic and levitation. According to one of these legends, the ancient Egyptians were masters in the use of subtle energies and the control of vibrations. It was said that Egyptian priests, after a long period of training and spiritual practice, could concentrate their mind on an object and, with the power of thought, move or lift it without physically touching it.
On the other hand, Egyptian priests were the custodians of the “Words of Power”, given to them by the god Thoth. According to Egyptian mythology, Thoth was responsible for giving men the gift of writing and knowledge. He was said to have taught the Egyptians the use of magical words and formulas, which contained intrinsic power and could influence the world around them.
The “Words of Power” were considered to be spells or magical formulas that, when spoken correctly and with the right intention, possessed supernatural power. These words were believed to have the power to control natural forces, heal illnesses, protect against evil spirits, or even influence future events.
India
In more recent times, evidence of levitation can be found in the village of Shivapure, India. In this village, in the courtyard adjacent to the mosque dedicated to the Sufi saint Qamar Ali Darvesh, there is a cylindrical stone weighing over 60kg. During prayer, 11 believers gather around the stone reciting the name of the saint. Once a certain intensity is reached, the 11 believers lift the stone using a single finger and then jump back and let the heavy stone fall to the ground.
Coral Castle
Finally, I cannot conclude without mentioning the case of Coral Castle.
Coral Castle is an 1100-ton stone structure, built single-handedly by Edward Leedskalnin, a five-foot-tall Latvian gentleman, between 1923 and 1951 in Florida, USA.
Leedskalnin worked alone and at night, shrouded in mystery, so much so that no one knew how he did it. The only entrance, a swinging gate, is carved from a single block of coral weighing nine tons. The enormous block balances so perfectly on its center of gravity that a visitor can easily open it with a finger.
So how did he do it? Leedskalnin was said to use strange cone-shaped objects that emitted sounds to levitate the enormous stone objects. Interestingly, objects very similar to the cones used by Leedskalnin have been found during excavations in Mesopotamia. These Sumerian artifacts, known as “clay nails,” have cuneiform text written on their surfaces. One of them, translated, reads: “For Ningirsu, the mighty warrior of Enlil, Gudea, governor of Lagash, who built the Eninnu (temple) of Ningirsu, (also) built his Epa, the temple of the seven sectors.”
Is there any truth to these tales? I believe so, if only in the idea of harnessing the power of vibration to manipulate matter.
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