Metamaterial: Scientists Research 'Invisibility Cloak'

Telegraph:

A Harry Potter-style invisibility cloak could be created by scientists who have been given a £4.9million grant for research aimed at "bending light" to make objects disappear.

Read the whole story: Telegraph

Comments

[RTIII]

11:05 AM on 11/15/2009

First, this isn't new, and secondly, in the near term (our lifetimes) it is a near certainty that nothing even remotely like a "Harry Potter-style invisibility cloak" can be created.

Research along these lines have been in the works for a couple of decades, but in the last three years or so there have been advances that merit mention in the press.

A key problem that modern visions of the Potter Cloak must overcome (if you'll forgive the pun) is that the viewing angle can change to just about any angle and the cloak still works. What we're learning how to do now is uni-directional - a single viewing angle may be able to be "cloaked." And nothing in the works now is flexible like a textile - more like paint coatings.
.

[liberalNmoderation]

08:55 AM on 11/16/2009

I've heard about something called programmable paint being tested for the USAF...
A row of tiny cameras, top and bottom and along each side of the aircraft, wired into a fiber optic system of panels along the aircraft...
From what I've read, it's pretty clunky right now.
But, that said, it's been several years that I heard or read anything about it.

[tcagle]

08:02 AM on 11/15/2009

Please put one of these on Sarah Palin. Make sure it works on sound waves as well.