Father of "Antigravity" Born This Day

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William Sturgeon, the English electrical engineer who devised the first electromagnet capable of supporting more than its own weight (1825) was born on this day. The 200 gram magnet supported 4kg of iron with a single cell's current.

Sturgeon also worked on improving the voltaic battery, developing a theory of thermoelectricity, and even atmospheric charge conditions. From 500 kite flights made in calm weather, he found the atmosphere is consistently charged positively with respect to the Earth, and increasingly so at increased height. Link

SEE ALSO: Floating Bananas