# Is levitation possible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 27, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055 "2002-10-27T02:09:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cryptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@Cryptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cryptic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/1 "2002-10-27T02:09:12Z")
[http://216.71.52.125/Video2.avi](http://216.71.52.125/Video2.avi) This is a buddy of mine… He sent me this, and hes done it infront of people… Everyone believes him. Is it possible? ---
**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/2 "2002-10-27T02:20:44Z")
Without even looking at the video, I would wager a guess that a feat which defies the laws of physics is much more likely to be accomplished by sleight of hand than actual violation of natural law. Seeing how “levitation” is a feat performed by magicians every day, color me unimpressed. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/3 "2002-10-27T02:24:14Z")
David Blaine does this. You can’t see the toes on his right foot. It’s just standing on your tippie toes at an angle which hides the fact. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/4 "2002-10-27T02:26:21Z")
You might want to be more clear on the antecedent of “it.” The clip shows someone briefly standing on his toes which is entirely possible. Even a fat boy like me can do it. I’ve yet to see any evidence that levitation is possible. ---
**Author:** ![Cryptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@Cryptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cryptic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/5 "2002-10-27T02:26:58Z")
if you copy and paste it to a new browser, you wont have to download anything. I don think. David Blaine goes up about a feet and a half. I don’t know how big your tippie toes are, but… ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/6 "2002-10-27T02:32:12Z")
David Blaine also cheats. His videos show people’s reactions to one trick, while he performs another for the camera. I’ve seen him do it both ways - one with wires and one with tippie toes. > [@](#): > > For the television special, Blaine performed the Balducci levitation in front of several different groups of people, and the camera was there to catch their reaction. The method he used for this is the Balducci method, described below. While videotaping these various performances, the producers keyed in on the audience members with the most visual reaction. After the Balducci levitation, the producers of the show had these same people stand by for another taping of the illusion - this time the camera would shoot from behind the audience members to get a > clear view of Blaine in action. The audience members were told that this second performance was to show them how magicians could use wires to levitate. And this is exactly what happened. A small harness and rig (just out of camera view) was set up and Blaine performed a standard wire-suspension. [http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/7308/balducci.html](http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/7308/balducci.html) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/7 "2002-10-27T02:37:04Z")
Yeah, looks like the “Balducci Levitation” like David Blaine does, where he’s actually on the toes of his right foot. Pretty good trick still, IMO. Looks good until you know what to look for. Like most tricks, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/8 "2002-10-27T02:37:36Z")
If your freind can do true levitation - not touching the ground at all for extended periods of time - send him on over to [www.randi.org](http://www.randi.org) and sign him up for the James Randi’s million dollar challenge. ---
**Author:** ![elephant\_shoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@elephant\_shoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elephant_shoes)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/9 "2002-10-27T02:40:41Z")
As to whether levitation is possible… I can’t answer that. Most folks who appear to be levitating are actually performing the _Balducci_ levitation… which really isn’t levitation at all. Spoilers ahead (and a few not nice things being said about David Blaine, which I don’t necessarily support): [http://www.magiclearn.50megs.com/photo2.html](http://www.magiclearn.50megs.com/photo2.html) ---
**Author:** ![PhilAlex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@PhilAlex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilAlex)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/10 "2002-10-27T02:44:10Z")
Just a note: There are other versions… One of which allows you to do it SURROUNDED. (You still only go up about 4 inches, tho) ---
**Author:** ![Cryptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@Cryptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cryptic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/11 "2002-10-27T02:54:21Z")
whats the best site to learn simple magic? Chicks dig magic, lol ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/12 "2002-10-27T05:27:31Z")
You don’t want big ones though. Just simple sleight-of-hand, card tricks, things like that. ---
**Author:** ![sgentry2k2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@sgentry2k2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sgentry2k2)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/13 "2002-10-27T14:15:33Z")
I’m betting that levitation is possible, provided you’re actually from the planet Krypton . But I believe P.T. Barnum summed it up pretty well with his famous “There’s a sucker born every minute”. Say, you buddy would’nt happen to be a mild mannered reporter? . . . ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/14 "2002-10-28T11:37:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sgentry2k2 \* > But I believe P.T. Barnum summed it up pretty well with his famous “There’s a sucker born every minute”. [The only problem with that is he didn’t.](http://www.historybuff.com/library/refbarnum.html) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/15 "2002-10-28T11:54:32Z")
Your friend is merely standing on tiptoes, but you can’t see his toes properly because they are hidden by the camera angle (and it’s a poor quality image); if both his feet were leaving the floor then we should be able to see the floor below him lighten as he is illuminated from behind (actually from _in front_ of where he’s facing, but you get the idea). Tell him to arrange the lighting so that the main light source is, say, a foot directly below the camera lens next time. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/16 "2002-10-28T18:05:34Z")
Funny, I can’t see anything even slightly unusual about the clip. It looks like a guy standing on his tiptoes for a second or two. I guess I’m a skeptic or something. Levitation is possible, though. You just have to be a helicopter or a mag-lev train. Works like a charm. ---
**Author:** ![scotth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@scotth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-levitation-possible/134055/17 "2002-10-28T18:17:20Z")
If your friend is claiming he can REALLY levitate he is (most likely) a liar. If he really wants to convince everyone he can really do this, tell him you want a demonstration where you have an observer in front of him, on each side, and behind him. If he is really levitating his trick will still work. If he is faking it, it will be obvious or he will mysteriously be unable to get off the ground with all the “bad vibes” around. If he levitates with people watching from all four corners, send him to Florida. This would definitely qualify for $1,000,000 from James Randi.