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The Science Fact and Fiction of Invisibility

There is undeniably a link between science fact and the ideas that emerge in science fiction and fantasy. Science fiction authors are inspired by actual scientific and technological discoveries, but allow themselves the freedom to project the possible future course of these discoveries and their potential impact on society, perhaps remaining only weakly tethered to the facts. And, when faced with obstacles presented by the realities of actual technology, authors of fiction can break free from the tethers entirely, inventing completely imaginary technologies to move their storyline forward. However, the most skilled practitioners of the genre create compelling stories by having the fictional technology maintain some connection to either existing or at least projected technologies.

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How close to real do you think this is? After reading the article what are your own thoughts and conclusions about this? Please be as detailed as possible.

This article, though written in 2006 brings a lot of things to light. How close do you think we are to any of this now in 2010?

Cloaking is a working Prototype. Invisibility is still hypothetical.

Researchers from the German Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Imperial College London used the cloak, made using photonic crystals with a structure resembling piles of wood, to conceal a small bump - 0.00004 inches high by 0.00005 inches across - on a gold surface.

Resource (The Hindu) 3D ‘invisibility cloak’


I think it will be still a long time before the technology is available for this to be used on a grander scale. As they stated in your link it would be very difficult to actually change the chemicals in the body to cause the body to become invisible.

Perhaps when they produce a gadget to generate a field around the body...but that as stated in the article, could be years away unless they have a break through.

Yes but really how many people are researching this? and what besides the obvious military applications would cloaking be good for?

Depending on how cloaking would be accomplished, it'd be useful for many, many things.
If we used a build-able scale of molecules (like already exists) and used the technology to color them according to the backdrop, achieving it this way, we can still use the same technology for representations, working models, art, medical models, that sort of thing
just a crappy example to point out multiple use
like a pen can also be a projectile/birdfeeder/sateliteingredient.

Have you ever heard of Meta-Flex?

I've been following this pretty close for a while and have alot of links.Here are some for you pretaining to recent research..

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/pu-nfp_1080210.php


http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2010/100804ShalaevMetamats.html

http://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=43331

http://starcraftscience.com/2010/07/26/could-cloaking-devices-work/

I believe we are getting closer to the reality of invisability.Its just a matter of time and technology.

In a logic way, I do think, that invisibility will never be achieved.

If we're thinking invisible as in transparent,probably not Markus..but as in cloaked? Possibly.

adaptive camouflage comes first though

It's possible in theory. Where there is theory there is some idiot trying to prove it. If it's a good theory... there are a lot of idiots trying to prove it.


That scares me.

I'm jumpy enough, I don't need some psycho mugging WHILE INVISIBLE.

Invisible is right up there with transport beams. unless something is made by this alleged "Metameterial" it will be visible.

So that makes it a Hypothetical, cloaking is already in proto-beta stage

Evidently they are making some headway with the Meta flex...

Flexible smart materials that can manipulate light to shield objects from view have been much-theorised but now researchers in Scotland have made a practical breakthrough that brings the possibility of an invisibility cardigan - or any other item of invisibility clothing - one step closer.

Two challenges to the creation of smart flexible materials that can cloak from visible light are making meta-atoms small enough to interact with visible light, and the fabrication of metamaterials that can be detached from the hard surfaces they are developed on to be used in more flexible constructs.

Research published today, Thursday 4 November 2010, in New Journal of Physics (co-owned by the Institute of Physics and German Physical Society), details how Meta-flex, a new material designed by researchers from the University of St Andrews, overcomes both of these challenges.

Although cloaks designed to shield objects from both Terahertz and Near Infrared waves have already been designed, a flexible material designed to cloak objects from visible light poses a greater challenge because of visible light's smaller wavelength and the need to make the metamaterial's constituent part - meta-atoms - small enough to interact with visible light.

These tiny meta-atoms have been designed but they have only traditionally been realized on flat, hard surfaces, making them rigid constructs impractical for use in clothing or other possible applications that would benefit from flexibility, such as super lenses.

The research team, led by EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellow Dr Andrea Di Falco, has developed an elaborate technique which frees the meta-atoms from the hard surface ('substrate') they are constructed on. The researchers predict that stacking them together can create an independent, flexible material, which can be adopted for use in a wide range of applications.

Di Falco says, "Metamaterials give us the ultimate handle on manipulating the behaviour of light. The impact of our new material Meta-flex is ubiquitous. It could be possible to use Meta-flex for creating smart fabrics and, in the paper, we show how easy it is to place Meta-flex on disposable contact lenses, showing how flexible superlenses could be used for visual prostheses."


http://www.biosciencetechnology.com/News/Feeds/2010/11/products-chemicals-and-reagents-meta-flex-your-new-brand-for-invisibility-clothin/

This is all very interesting. I've heard over the years that the military already has some sort of cloaking device. If I find an article of this nature, I will share it. But I do find it rather interesting that it is even being talked about in any fashion. It would be useful I think in a lot of different aspects.

Also,you just might enjoy listening to this...


http://www.azonano.com/sale.asp?SaleId=259

I agree that cloaking can be achieved in time, but invisibility .... no... you would have to be able to break down something into literally nothing. I don't believe matter can be destroyed in such a manner and then simple turned back into what it was previously... However.... you never know what the future will hold... even computers would have been considered magic to people only 100 years ago....

so you never really know

Ancient China had Abacus that is a computing device.

Cloaking is a admirable milestone, yet an example of how sensationalist don't even break stride for milestones.

An interesting subject. Has anybody know/heard about the philadelphia experiment?

Yes Dark,I have...but that was more about time travel if I recall correctly.

It kind of was, but it was dealing with Invisibility, aswell.

That was Sonar, and radar invisibility, to cloak ships from detection.

The Philadelphia Experiment is the name given to a naval military experiment which was supposedly carried out at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, sometime around October 28, 1943. It is alleged that the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Eldridge was to be rendered invisible (or "cloaked") to enemy devices. The experiment is also referred to as Project Rainbow.

The story is widely regarded as a hoax.[1][2][3] The U.S. Navy maintains that no such experiment occurred, and details of the story contradict well-established facts about the Eldridge, as well as the known laws of physics.[4] Nonetheless, the story has captured imaginations in conspiracy theory circles, and elements of the Philadelphia Experiment are featured in other government conspiracy theories.

Right Dab..cloaking from enemy radar,but I wasnt thinking it was about "invisibilty" persey.I know Tesla's involvement in Project Rainboz was about time travel via electriclty etc...I dunno,I never viewed it really as an invisibility experiment.

A lot about that alleged expirement is convoluted by Conspiracy Nutz

The story is regarded as a hoax because it was a failed experiment.
The stories say that the ship actually showed up at it's home base for about two minutes (eyewitness accounts)
Stories and pictures of the crew after the experiment remain that the people were stuck inside the ship, and the few that were not showed up in mental institutions, known to actually combust in a few cases, drift in an out of view (During a barfight, another notable account) and randomly 'freeze' for anywhere from six hours to six days until another sailor touched them.
The people who were working to bring out the facts from the experiment were found dead. This included the person who was interviewing one of the sailors, found dead at a park with a hose connecting his exhaust pipe to his car window shortly after phoning his partner saying he was on his way with evidence.
The experiment itself consisted of Tesla Coils and EMF generators if i remember correctly, held on two ships with a single ship between them. The generators were pointed at the ship in the center and turned on high.
Spectators reported a green mist shrouding the ship, then it vanished for around two minutes to a few seconds (depending on where you hear it, oddly enough)
before returning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChjyCR8V2Bg

What a complete waste of money. Any O level student can tell you the cost and benefits of such a system are far out-weighed by the magnetic/ and spectral devices that would reveal the "invisible" target.
What? like the taliban/Iran won't use infrared? of course they will. Far beter to play them at chess and out-wit them.
I suggest a total withdrawal for several years.That will totally throw them.
Meanwhile radio actively tag all members and villages/hide outs.
When the coalition have got a few pennies together(they're broke)hit them all in one go.

The science of cloaking is the realization of creating a form of invisibility...that is defined as being "hidden from view." Invisiblity and the cloaking device or camoflage that creates it, is dependent upon the visual capacity of the viewer able to detect an object that may otherwise be invisible by other means, such as the naked eye.

Microscopes and Telescopes are devices with which we are able to see the micro and macro-universes already around and within us. Night goggles allow visual assessment at night when very little light is available to illuminate objects otherwise "unseen."

Thus far, there are even inventive cameras that are rigged to pick up the otherwise "invisible" light rays, unseen by human eyes, that are detecting energy forms or "ghosts."

Fact is, invisibility is not limited to breaking anything down to a molecular level as suggested here...invisibility is entirely dependent upon not being "seen" or being "kept hidden." Considering that all things seen depend upon the forms of visible light rays (which is very limited in our eyes), to make something invisible is to access cloaking abilities outside of that visible segment of light. Thus the mulititude of technological entities used currently by the military for years before it was released to the public and now much of that tech is utilized in modern medicine and surgery.

To cloak any one person, object, or thing as to make it invisible is directly related to the person, object or thing's visual system/apparatus you are hiding from. The flipside is discovering person, object or thing otherwise not seen before and therefore not percieved by our limited sight. It is what we don't see that is the driving force behind such experimentation, thus invisibility is not a primary study as much as it is a part of the larger equations in quantum and universal theories....as in search of the "God Particle" currently underway.

Ahhh..The joy of being invisible - we all want to be invisible or at least for a bit just to hide from the world - much like flying; whenever you don't have anywhere to go - you'll just fly and be away!

There are a lot of myths or fiction about becoming invisible - you betcha there are.

Even here in this country, I'm in. One ceremony that involves a black cat - full moon - a cemetery and yes, a knife. (But so does other ceremonies,right?)

As for the science - I'm not much of a fan of it. I'm stumped.