What is new on the levitation front?

The principles for simultaneous measurements of the electrical conductivity and the permeability of materials ranging from ionic to semiconductors to insulators, using a non-invasive, electrodeless method, are presented succinctly. Recent results obtained for a variety of materials at room temperature and at the melting point illustrate the validity of the method. Special emphasis will be given to the fact that transport properties are now accessible over a regime of temperature never achieved before. Of particular interest is the fact it is now possible to monitor the inductance as a function of cooling, allowing a determination of changes accompanying the electrical properties and the magnetisation in the liquid and supercooled states.