Invisibility cloak a reality?

[Vladyc]

CNN.com

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Imagine an invisibility cloak that works just like the one Harry Potter inherited from his father.

Researchers in England and the United States think they know how to do that. They are laying out the blueprint and calling for help in developing the exotic materials needed to build a cloak.

The keys are special manmade materials, unlike any in nature or the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These materials are intended to steer light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation around an object, rendering it as invisible as something tucked into a hole in space.

"Is it science fiction? Well, it's theory and that already is not science fiction. It's theoretically possible to do all these Harry Potter things, but what's standing in the way is our engineering capabilities," said John Pendry, a physicist at the Imperial College London.

Details of the study, which Pendry co-wrote, appear in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science.

Scientists not involved in the work said it presents a solid case for making invisibility an attainable goal.

"This is very interesting science and a very interesting idea and it is supported on a great mathematical and physical basis," said Nader Engheta, a professor of electrical and systems engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Engheta has done his own work on invisibility using novel materials called metamaterials.

Pendry and his co-authors also propose using metamaterials because they can be tuned to bend electromagnetic radiation -- radio waves and visible light, for example -- in any direction.

A cloak made of those materials, with a structure designed down to the submicroscopic scale, would neither reflect light nor cast a shadow.

Instead, like a river streaming around a smooth boulder, light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation would strike the cloak and simply flow around it, continuing on as if it never bumped up against an obstacle. That would give an onlooker the apparent ability to peer right through the cloak, with everything tucked inside concealed from view.

"Yes, you could actually make someone invisible as long as someone wears a cloak made of this material," said Patanjali Parimi, a Northeastern University physicist and design engineer at Chelton Microwave Corp. in Bolton, Massachusetts, Parimi was not involved in the research.

Such a cloak does not exist, but early versions that could mask microwaves and other forms of electromagnetic radiation could be as close as 18 months away, Pendry said. He said the study was "an invitation to come and play with these new ideas."

"We will have a cloak after not too long," he said.

The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency supported the research, given the obvious military applications of such stealthy technology.

While Harry Potter could wear his cloak to skulk around Hogwarts, a real-world version probably would not be something just to be thrown on, Pendry said.

"To be realistic, it's going to be fairly thick. Cloak is a misnomer. 'Shield' might be more appropriate," he said.

This would be...awesome.

Although it seems like one of those things that if everyone got one, it would cause mass chaos. But oh well.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

sounds like a load of crap to me, but thats just me

 

[ybbor]

still, it seems like you would know something was there, light doesn't just stretch and bend everyday does it?

 

[Bluemofia]

Once I read the word "exotic", I know it's a hoax.

Besides, you can't manipulate light like that! You can not steer light, aside from using reflective things. Light has no charge to use magnetic fields to control, and there is no way you can get the light to go around the thing and act like if it wasn't there.

 

[GenMarshall]

Are you saying we could be a step closer to get optical camo?

 

[Hakim]

I believe a simpler method have more potential: absorb light from one side and send it out on the other side in the same angle. A quick google:

http://michael.ubiqgen.com/2004/06/15/invisibility-cloaks-and-invisible-walls
http://science.howstuffworks.com/invisibility-cloak.htm

 

[warpus]

Once I read the word "exotic", I know it's a hoax.

Besides, you can't manipulate light like that! You can not steer light, aside from using reflective things. Light has no charge to use magnetic fields to control, and there is no way you can get the light to go around the thing and act like if it wasn't there.

You can, with gravity! And if you can do it with gravity, maybe there's other ways too?

 

[Pyrite]

Wearable ways?

 

[diablodelmar]

CNN.com


This would be...awesome.

Although it seems like one of those things that if everyone got one, it would cause mass chaos. But oh well.

Yeah, but how much would they cost?

 

[Bluemofia]

You can, with gravity! And if you can do it with gravity, maybe there's other ways too?

Ok. So you have gravity. And you know as well as I, that I ment something that a company can make.

Now how are you going to get something that massive to bend light?

 

[warpus]

Ok. So you have gravity. And you know as well as I, that I ment something that a company can make.

Now how are you going to get something that massive to bend light?

If it's possible we'll figure it out one day

 

[Rossiya]

how cool would that be?....actually no, the world be even more chaotic.

 

[Mise]

It's Sir John Pendry, actually

 

[Souron]

I'm still trying to immagine what a mulfunctioning/early design would look like. Would it look translucent or just weird in some way? would you see the things behind it in the wrong spot?

 

[aussieboy]

If they can do that, the military applications would be astounding... imagine the US military suddenly comign out of nowhere and firing...

 

[general_kill]

Hollow Man anyone?

It still gives off heat signature.

 

[aussieboy]

But the morale effect on the common enemy soldier would be enormous. 'Ghost zombie Americans' would scare the crap out of me, flashy modern equipment or not.

 

[ybbor]

But the morale effect on the common enemy soldier would be enormous. 'Ghost zombie Americans' would scare the crap out of me, flashy modern equipment or not.

holy crap, I swear I saw a twig snap oh, must have been the wind...