Casimir effect - Does it fit? Or NOT?

[eemaestro]

I just heard about the Casimir effect:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmir_effect

Is this for real? Or is it just speculation?
If it's real, then how in the name of science does it fit into the four fundamental forces?!
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/forces/funfor.html

I think it's just a fancy name for friction. I think friction is an example of electromagnetic force, same
as the pressure of standing on the floor. But I could be wrong! The pressure of standing on the floor could be a result of gravity! So which is it? EM or Gravity ? Or both?! We can't even talk about the Casimir effect (if it even exists) until we can clear up something as simple as standing on the floor. :!)

 

[dextercioby]

Casimir effect is very real and there have been numerious experiments attesting the existence of that macroscopic force. That's not something new, it can be interesting, but it's a just a mere effect of EM field quantization in various geometries. As for the 4 forces, well they go hand in hand, since the theory of 4 forces is based on (gauge) field quantization which also explains the existence of the Casimir force.

 

[turbo]

Here is page by Ulf Leonhardt explaining how manipulating the Casimir effect may allow advances in the reduction of friction in nano-machines.

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~ulf/levitation.html

 

[quetzalcoatl9]

the wiki page must be in error, there is no way that this could be true:

Indeed at separations of 10 nm — about a hundred times the typical size of an atom — the Casimir effect produces the equivalent of 1 atmosphere of pressure (101.3 kPa)

1 atm over a separation as large as 100 angstoms? no way