Magnetic Invisibility Cloak Proposed By Scientists

The power of invisibility may soon be more than just a sci-fi fantasy. Researchers in Spain have developed an 'antimagnet' cloak that could hide objects from magnetic fields, reports ScienceNOW.

The new device would make it possible "to ‘switch off’ the magnetic interaction of a magnetic material with existing magnetic fields without modifying them," the researchers wrote in a paper published in the New Journal of Physics.

The cloak is only conceptual, but if developed, it could open up a host of new medical possibilities. For one, patients with pacemakers or other magnetic implants would be able to undergo MRIs without harm.

The concept could also be applied by the military: Ships using the technology could avoid mines designed to detonate when a magnetic field is detected, according to physorg.com.

But magnetic invisibility isn't all a bed of roses. It could potentially assist criminals trying to breach security in airports, embassies and other high threat buildings by making it possible for bombs and other weapons to pass through metal detectors undetected, reports Discovery News.

While John Pendry, a theorist out of Imperial College London told ScienceNOW it would take invisible cloaking technology to the next level, other scientists have questioned the capability of cooling superconductors.

"It's quite likely this thing works in a computer, but it's a question of whether it works in real life," MIT professor of materials science Caroline Ross told Discovery News.

The beauty of superconductors, a technology this latest cloaking concept relies on? They offer zero electrical resistance and impermeability to magnetic fields.

This isn't the first invisibility cloak in the making though. According to Live Science, for the past five years, scientists have been creating different forms of invisibility cloaks.

One of the most recent developments emerged last year when researchers devised an invisibility cloak out of silk.

Comments

[TakeSake]

01:01 PM on 09/26/2011

To B or not to B.

[Gurinder Dhillon]

10:44 AM on 09/26/2011

What will Harry Potter think of next?

[StephenJK]

07:46 AM on 09/26/2011

Technology is jumping the shark.

"But, no, technology and science is our only hope!"

Yeah, our only hope at self-destruction.

[Mort]

04:48 AM on 09/26/2011

Guess if there's military uses we can spend millions on this instead of cheating the med companies out of profits by finally coming out with the cures they've been promising all these years.

Imagine someone with AIDS or the big C finally realizing their dreams of invisibility just in time for the funeral.

[Jef Sof]

11:13 PM on 09/25/2011

like so much physics science these days - the highly-theoretical is grabbing headlines but proving of little useful value since its new knowledge exists only in super-computers and the creative minds of scientists - without practical application - cannot be tested, detected or built ... superstrings anyone?

[PuzzledinPeoria]

10:44 PM on 09/25/2011

The theory is sound. Hit somebody in the head hard enough with a magnet and they can't see anything.

[firelord5000]

04:59 PM on 09/25/2011

If it lets me sneak into Harmione's room, I'm down for it.

[StinkyPete0279]

04:20 PM on 09/25/2011

Stealth Submarines, yahoo

[Rodger leMonde]

01:19 PM on 09/25/2011

Is this why I can never find a magnet when I need one?

[BeautifulWorld]

01:18 PM on 09/25/2011

What a bummer. I wanted it to be real, like magic, but real. Hate to burst your bubble but this isn't new.

[Roland Adams]

11:29 AM on 09/25/2011

Do people see a trend here? Cutting edge science is now being developed in Europe and Asia. What was once the trademark of the United States has been lost out to Europe and Asia due to certain groups working hard to destroy education, infrastructure, and FREE TRADE (see all the U.S. monopolies if you don't agree). Republicans must be so proud!!

[kareemachan]

12:07 PM on 09/25/2011

Well, you know, those educated people get all uppity and elitist on ya..... Gawd knows, we can't have that.

[deluk]

03:54 PM on 09/25/2011

"cuttting edge science has always been developed in Europe, especially Britain (more nobel prizes php than any other nation), your remark that cutting edge science is an American "trademark" is typical of the fallacies that Americans feed to themselves.

[blackfriday124]

08:34 PM on 09/25/2011

The US(326) has far more Nobel Prizes than Britain(116) and any other country. ( The US has more Nobel Prizes than every country in Europe combined)

[Roland Adams]

11:41 AM on 09/27/2011

Well I certainly didn't mean to stir any European feathers. My point was a certain party in the U.S. (cough Republicans) are tearing away at our very core as a nation. That was our education, ingenuity, and our pride to depend on discovery over might. When an empire depends only on its might soon that will be assigned to the mercenaries and then the so called "barbarians" will be at the gate demanding a little payback.

But then again the UK's current party in power is doing the same thing there isn't it?

[Sandee McHale Delano]

11:07 AM on 09/25/2011

Ah, just go ahead and post the instructions on how to make this, just like any other weapons, bombs, etc. Then you can be assured it will not get into the wrong hands.

[Rhek]

10:18 AM on 09/25/2011

Finally. The Klingon bird-of-pray starship I built will soon have clocking ability and I will be hidden from the federation and I will take over the galaxy.

[x men]

11:10 AM on 09/25/2011

Dude, it is the Romulans that developed the cloaking device. You need to watch TOS.

[TiredandPragmatic]

11:46 AM on 09/25/2011

The Klingons do have cloaking technology though, and are way more bad@ss than the Romulans.

[Rhek]

11:47 AM on 09/25/2011

exactly, hence the reason it is not yet installed. lol idk ...i even spelled 'clocking' wrong too so it looks like i need to go watch me some Sesame Street too. :D

[Hillary Wentz]

11:43 AM on 09/26/2011

This is by far the best thread of comments on here. :)

[Rhek]

01:48 PM on 09/26/2011

I like people whom enjoy having fun and can really joke around with almost any topic. Sure there is a time and place, but there is way to much seriousness on here sometimes.

haha, welcome to happy fun time, Hillary! :)

[Mister President]

10:18 AM on 09/25/2011

"F*****g magnets, how do they work?"

-Insane Clown Posse

[Donns]

09:54 AM on 09/25/2011

This is not new by a long shot. Our government has made the unemployed, aged and other undesirables invisible for a long time.

[WaveRhydr]

10:57 AM on 09/25/2011

Faved & Hip Badged

[Sandee McHale Delano]

11:06 AM on 09/25/2011

F&F