Photo illustration by Daniel Green

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong said when he touched down on the moon in 1969. The event shocked thousands across the world by proving that humans are capable of reaching landmarks in outer space. Nowadays amazing ideas first proposed in sci-fi novels are also being proved to be possible. Early forms of remarkable inventions are being created that may allow us to fly or become invisible.

Fly Like a Cardinal

The physics of levitation has baffled human nature for thousands of years, ever since the myth of Icarus attempting to fly to the sun showed people imagining flight. But Icarus is not the last man to attempt the miracle of flying: current-day scientists continue to prove that humans can fly through their new inventions. But what about without glider wings?

Each year, scientists wait anxiously to show off their wacky inventions at the Association of Science-Technology Centers annual conference. At this year’s convention in Baltimore, from Oct.15 to 18, an Israeli superconductivity group from Tel-Aviv University simplified levitation. To entice potential consumers, the group demonstrated how something that looked like a frozen CD floated and rotated around a fixed magnetic track. A term unfamiliar with us ground-dwellers, “quantum levitation” uses a frozen crystal sapphire wafer as a superconductor, allowing the disk to hang above a magnet because it becomes “trapped” in the air. To see the process in action, visit their website, www.quantumlevitation.com.

The concept of quantum levitation is a good foundation for a future series of inventions such as hover-boards or shoes. “We are dedicated to making the amazing physics of superconductors accessible and exciting for the young and adults through the unique and counter-intuitive phenomena of ‘quantum trapping’ and ‘quantum levitation,’” the Israel scientist’s superconductivity group’s website stated.

Some believe quantum levitation can be used as a base to make future gadgets. “The wafers are brittle like ceramics, which does not make it as versatile as some would like,” chemistry teacher Bryan Marten said. “However the new materials being created can change what we can build and what we think of building. Even though I don’t see much new in the YouTube video (Quantum Levitation), if it inspires a new generation to tackle this superconducting materials problem or get into science to try to make the world a better place, that’s fantastic.”

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

Harry Potter used his invisibility cloak to sneak into the restricted areas of Hogwarts and down to Hagrid’s hut and readers sighed with envy. Scientists at the University of Dallas recreated this effect for what could be considered an early version of this ability to “disappear.” They heated carbon nanotubes, or cylindrical tubes made of carbon, underwater to 4040 degrees, bending the light rays around the tubes and concealing them entirely.

Some people believe that the experiment could be a possible start of creating cloaking devices. “The remarkable performance of nanotube sheets suggests possible applications as photo-deflectors and for switchable invisibility cloaks,” lead scientist Ali Aliev said, according to ABC News (abcnews.go.com). However, at this point it is impossible for a human to wear the tubes in search of the powers of invisibility, as the specialized conditions needed are not life-sustaining.

Some believe that the new inventions are not necessarily a good thing. “Any invention ever created can be used for bad intent,” sophomore Kevin Tom said. “The way crimes are committed will change. If they invented flying cars, then bad guys can get away easier. In the case of invisibility, security cameras will be rendered useless. It’s a great scientific advancement, but I don’t think it will be a good thing for the world.”

Robot Hipster

Recently, the hipster fad of fixed gear bikes has infected the circuitry of robots. Robots are usually remote controlled, but scientists are on the hunt for artificial intelligence. Masahiko Yamaguchi, a robot creator, developed a robot capable of riding a fixed gear bike about the size of your average house cat without much human help. This robot was first shown at the annual International Robot Expedition and is viewable at Popsci (www.popsci.com), a Website that showcases the most recent scientific advances. According to Popsci, Yamaguchi is interested in utilizing artificial intelligence to create a robot completely capable of riding without a human behind the controls. This version is becoming closer and closer to matching its skills to a human. As of now, humans only control which direction the robot will go in, while the robot is able to pedal, balance and brake using its own strength. Similar robots have been utilized in the opening scene of The Muppet Movie 2011.

The topic of robotics is infecting the Lowell community through the new group called For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. Sophomore Ofri Harlev is organizing a team to enter in a robot competition, where they will program their robot to compete in an activity. “We are going to build a 120 lbs robot to compete against other high schools,” Harlev said. “The exact event will be announced on January 7, 2012. We currently have 50 people showing up to our meetings.” If you would like to support the group’s efforts, you can donate online at their Website (www.gofundme.com/ad9zk).

Scientific gadgets originally imagined in comic books and movies may take over our society. More and more innovative technology is beginning to appear, from floating frozen wafers to robots with a mind of their own. These incremental inventions may be a small step in creating something we can all use in our homes, but technology has made great leaps since the first moon landing.

A version of this article first appeared in the Dec. 8, 2011 print edition of The Lowell.