Report: Scientists Closer to Developing Invisibility Cloak

Report: Scientists Closer to Developing Invisibility Cloak

www.foxnews.com

Sunday, August 10, 2008

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Invisibility devices, long the realm of science fiction and fantasy, have moved closer after scientists engineered a material that can bend visible light around objects.

The breakthrough could lead to systems for rendering anything from people to large objects, such as tanks and ships, invisible to the eye — although this is still years off.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, whose work is funded by the American military, have engineered materials that can control light’s direction of travel. The world’s two leading scientific journals, Science and Nature, are expected to report the results this week.

It follows earlier work at Imperial College London that achieved similar results with microwaves. Like light, these are a form of electromagnetic radiation but their longer wave-length makes them far easier to manipulate. Achieving the same effect with visible light is a big advance.

Underlying the work is the idea that bending visible light around an object will hide it.

Xiang Zhang, the leader of the researchers, said: “In the case of invisibility cloaks or shields, the material would need to curve light waves completely around the object like a river flowing around a rock.” An observer looking at the cloaked object would then see light from behind it — making it seem to disappear.

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This is perfect! Now I can hide from all the bill collectors!

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The girl's bathroom with never be safe again.

Seriously though, if this technology comes to reality and several countries get their hands on it, then the modern day warfare and espionage realms will forever be changed.
So, what is the defense? Well, since this system works on microwaves manipulating light to bend it around an object, would not a microwave emitter be the key to distorting it? But how would we know they were there? Simple...heat radiation. Use of infrared goggles and cameras to pick them up at a distance, then a microwave burst to neutralize the cloak.

Since this technology has no practical application, it is obviously designed as a weapon of war. I am quite sure that a few multinational corporations would also put some backing into it for their own devious reasons.

I dont really worry much though. My dogs bark at smell as well as movement, so they wont be sneaking into my yard anytime soon.

reply to post by wheresthetruth


Indeed! Unfortunately, I don't think anything possitive will come from this... creepy indeed

Reverse engineering from the Roswell crash (or similar incidents) anyone?

Can anyone think of just one positive aspect of this, outside of aspects of government control / war?

Bar the girls bathroom quips, seriously - can you think of one benificial ue of cloak technology, that doe not entail anything malicious?

Privacy, such as being able to have a secluded room in a house. Or hunting gear, become invisible and sneak up on animals.



-KGAB

Getting there...

[edit on 10-8-2008 by chetinglendalevillage]

Originally posted by Karl7772000
Or hunting gear, become invisible and sneak up on animals.

Heh, think about that concept ........ as is, hunters keep killing each other off, while wearing friggen flourescent orange vests, and they're gonna wear cloaks? lol

The good old US of A already has them, they are being combat tested. There is a video out showing a soldier wearing one boarding a tank. Too much metal revealed his presence when suit malfunctioned. It wasn't a cloak, it was a uniform. It wouldn't do to just put the uniform and go for a walk, traffic will kiil you. Your equipment will make noise, you will stir up dust as you walk, not to mention moving foliage, compressing grass and leaving footprints. Then you have to make the soldiers arms and ammunition invisible too. It will take a ton of training just not to lose your equipment.. Then there is your glasses and dentalwork and other necessities. This is what they do at area 51. I mastered invisibility hiding from my wives. Oh darn, they've got an infra-red camera...........run.

Originally posted by Misfit
Can anyone think of just one positive aspect of this, outside of aspects of government control / war?

Bar the girls bathroom quips, seriously - can you think of one benificial ue of cloak technology, that doe not entail anything malicious?

It would allow anyone to become a master magician.

But seriously, I'm sure there are many ways for this to be used for the greater good (like responsible police use). Unfortunately, these types of inventions never do get used this way...

I can just see the threads now. "Spooks followed me while wearing invisibility cloaks." I can't imagine why anyone would think it's a good idea outside of government/military purposes and even then it may not always be used for good purposes. Just opens up a can of worms if you ask me.

This announcement, along with others in the past, are just to get people used to the idea that they are a reality and that they do exist.
This is how all new technologies have been introduced to us, it reduces the shock factor to some of the "less informed."
Theres no doubt that it has been around for quite a while though.

It seems that bending light around an object would be very easily done with fiber optic glass.

UC Berkley is going about this in a different manner. Rather than microwaving, they are working with what has newly been classed as meta material. I seems a bit more high-tech and a lot less dangerous.

As to the worries about its deployment and use...dont fear when you hear "we's from da gov'ment, we's jus hea ta help", especially when you dont actually see anyone there.

Another great use for this is to make real life super heros. Can you imagine the deranged population of people that would like to get their hands on this just so they could more identify with their comic/cartoon super jocks? See my sig for my response to that idea.