What's the difference between telekinesis and levitation?

For example, which one breaks the egg by the large end?

The letters k, v, s, a and o.

Arctic, don't give PB any ideas.

One of them doesn't work, and the other doesn't either?

Um, ah,

One doesn't lift objects, and the other doesn't lift yourself?

You've got me. Neither one rhymes with orange.

According to the Free Dictionary:

levitation - To rise or cause to rise into the air and float in apparent defiance of gravity.

telekinesis - The movement of objects by scientifically inexplicable means, as by the exercise of an occult power.

I think of levitation as oogey-boogey floating straight up and hovering.

I think of telekinesis as oogey-boogey Luke get the light-saber stuff.

And telekinesis has 5, levitation has 4.

I tend to think of levitate as up and down movement of self or others, and telekinesis as psychically moving and carrying things through the air any which way.

Oh, and #4, I still insist that "Lozenge" rhymes with "Orange."

Levitation is possible. Telekinesis is not.

#8 Great Link!

('Touching' is relative: on the finest scale, atoms are mostly empty space. Those short-range forces between the ground and your feet, acting over nanometres, are a consequence of electrostatics and quantum mechanics - so standing is a kind of 'nanolevitation'.)

WOOO-HOOOOOO!!! Look at me, I'm nanolevitating!!!

#8 - So would you assert that the difference is 'relative?'

Weeeeeelll, I think telekinesis generally implies things moving around just by the power of the mind. Whereas, as far as I've experienced, levitation involves either large magnets (if you want to levitate things like frogs - sadly people weigh just too much for our magnetic fields at the moment) or superconductors, which have to be really rather cold. Either involves rather a lot of pre-planning and moving of rather specific items, which as far as I'm aware can't be done just by the power of one's mind. Sadly. Otherwise my research would be so much easier. 30 tesla magnetic field? Ah, fear not, I'll just think hard for a few minutes and you can do your magnetoresistance measurements ;-)

#11 Talking about magneto, according to your definition, which does Magneto (a la X-Men fame) do, Liz? Levitation or telekinesis?

Psychic levitation is a subtype of telekinesis. Plus, what they said: #8 (LizT) and #2 (Arctic-Stranger).

If I remember right, Magneto was able to manipulate magnetic fields, so that would be psychomagnetolevitation.

12> hee, I refer to my learned colleague in message 14, who describes it perfectly ;-)

#14 with lemon-lime? :D

ahem, ....."one of a wizards most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make objects fly!" Proffessr flitwick, charms teacher of Hogwarts(movie quote) I don't quite agree that flying is the same as levitation

#14, 16 I agree, JPB. Psychomagnetolevitation should definitely be the name of a drink. Or is it already, Dr. Neutron?

..It would be fun to hear drunk people try to order one.

Heh. Now I gotta go invent a drink to go with the name. Ah, I love working in the lab...

I also think Dr. Neutron should be a drink name, too, so you've got your work cut out for you!

I think I'm going to need some vic...er...volunteers to try out some concoctions...

(raises hand)

#22: OOOH! Did you raise your hand with telekinesis!

I can make my toes wiggle just by THINKING of it.

#23 Actually, I raised YOUR hand, AM. Didn't you notice?

Yeah, and now I have a black eye. Thanks!

"Control, control, you must learn control!"

#23 - Well since Atomic Mutant is a disembodied floating brain thingy, he would require telekinesis to wiggle his toes. He keeps quite a collection in mason jars on shelves...