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Magnetic response of the very majority of materials is diamagnetic, billion times smaller than that of “real” magnetic materials such as iron or nickel. No wonder then that most things including humans are generally considered to be non-magnetic. However feeble, the ubiquitous diamagnetism is strong enough to support such dramatic phenomena as true levitation. In this talk - intended to be both informative and entertaining - I will show how to use strong magnets to let live frogs fly and, vice versa, how to use your fingertips to levitate magnets in between.
Sir Andre Geim is Regius Professor at the University of Manchester. He was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work on graphene, a one-atom-thick material made of carbon. He also received numerous international awards and distinctions, including medals from the Royal Society and the US National Academy of Sciences, and holds honorary doctorates and professorships from many countries and universities. Sir Andre is a member of the British, American and Chinese academies of science, among others.