Reuters: Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak Is Possible, Studies Say - GoFuckYourself.com

chshkt · 05-26-2006, 10:20 PM

http://today.reuters.co.uk/News/News...VISIBLE-DC.XML

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New materials that can change the way light and other forms of radiation bend around an object may provide a way to make objects invisible, researchers said on Thursday.

Two separate teams of researchers have come up with theories on ways to use experimental "metamaterials" to cloak an object and hide it from visible light, infrared light, microwaves and perhaps even sonar probes.

Their work suggests that science-fiction portrayals of invisibility, such as the cloaking devices used to hide space ships in Star Trek, might be truly possible.

Harry Potter's cloak or The Invisible Man of films and fiction might be a bit harder to emulate, however, because the materials must be used in a thick shell.

The concept begins with refraction -- a quality of light in which the electromagnetic waves take the quickest, but not necessarily the shortest, route. This accounts for the illusion that a pencil immersed in a glass of water appears broken, for instance.

"Imagine a situation where a medium guides light around a hole in it," Physicist Ulf Leonhardt of Britain's University of St. Andrews, wrote in one of the reports, published in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

The light rays end up behind the object as if they had traveled in a straight line.

"Any object placed in the hole would be hidden from sight. The medium would create the ultimate optical illusion: invisibility, Leonhardt wrote.

chshkt · 05-26-2006, 10:30 PM

Harry Potter invisibility cloak 'within five years'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...6/ninvis26.xml

sniperwolf · 05-26-2006, 10:42 PM

interesting... i need to have one

SmutGiant · 05-26-2006, 11:04 PM

Was reading about this last night... pretty far out if you ask me. I don't think we'll be seeing it in action anytime soon.

shack · 05-26-2006, 11:11 PM

Are they taking laybuys yet?

woj · 05-26-2006, 11:13 PM

[ timeline pic ]

SmutGiant · 05-26-2006, 11:15 PM

This is another fine example of how people choose to spend money on what they want rather than what they need.

hmmmm... up to date text books and computers in schools? Or invisible man suit?

SmutGiant · 05-26-2006, 11:16 PM

still pretty damn cool though

soulboy · 05-26-2006, 11:16 PM

I was reading of this last night too. It will take a looonnnnnnnnng time until we will see any commercial use of it.

czarina · 05-26-2006, 11:21 PM

I want one! I wonder how long before they actually make them.

soulboy · 05-26-2006, 11:22 PM

GatorB · 05-26-2006, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulboy

I was reading of this last night too.

yeah I was reading about in a thread that was already posted.

05-26-2006, 10:20 PM	#1
chshkt Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,500	Reuters: Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak Is Possible, Studies Say http://today.reuters.co.uk/News/News...VISIBLE-DC.XML WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New materials that can change the way light and other forms of radiation bend around an object may provide a way to make objects invisible, researchers said on Thursday. Two separate teams of researchers have come up with theories on ways to use experimental "metamaterials" to cloak an object and hide it from visible light, infrared light, microwaves and perhaps even sonar probes. Their work suggests that science-fiction portrayals of invisibility, such as the cloaking devices used to hide space ships in Star Trek, might be truly possible. Harry Potter's cloak or The Invisible Man of films and fiction might be a bit harder to emulate, however, because the materials must be used in a thick shell. The concept begins with refraction -- a quality of light in which the electromagnetic waves take the quickest, but not necessarily the shortest, route. This accounts for the illusion that a pencil immersed in a glass of water appears broken, for instance. "Imagine a situation where a medium guides light around a hole in it," Physicist Ulf Leonhardt of Britain's University of St. Andrews, wrote in one of the reports, published in Friday's issue of the journal Science. The light rays end up behind the object as if they had traveled in a straight line. "Any object placed in the hole would be hidden from sight. The medium would create the ultimate optical illusion: invisibility, Leonhardt wrote. __________________ Start An Online Business, FREE!

05-26-2006, 10:30 PM	#2
chshkt Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,500	Harry Potter invisibility cloak 'within five years' http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...6/ninvis26.xml __________________ Start An Online Business, FREE!

05-26-2006, 10:42 PM	#3
sniperwolf Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 17,743	interesting... i need to have one __________________ ~Accepting design works~

05-26-2006, 11:13 PM	#6
woj <&(©¿©)&> Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Chicago Posts: 47,882	[ timeline pic ] __________________ Custom Software Development, email: woj#at#wojfun#.#com to discuss details or skype: wojl2000 or gchat: wojfun or telegram: wojl2000 Affiliate program tools: Hosted Galleries Manager Banner Manager Video Manager Wordpress Affiliate Plugin Pic/Movie of the Day Fansign Generator Zip Manager

05-26-2006, 11:16 PM	#9
soulboy Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 663	I was reading of this last night too. It will take a looonnnnnnnnng time until we will see any commercial use of it. __________________ 500GB + 5TB BW @ $5.95 \| LEarn how to generate 1 MILLION of hits \| Increase your PR - Best SEO Software

05-26-2006, 11:04 PM	#4
SmutGiant Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 4,895	Was reading about this last night... pretty far out if you ask me. I don't think we'll be seeing it in action anytime soon.

05-26-2006, 11:11 PM	#5
shack Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Oz Posts: 539	Are they taking laybuys yet?

05-26-2006, 11:15 PM	#7
SmutGiant Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 4,895	This is another fine example of how people choose to spend money on what they want rather than what they need. hmmmm... up to date text books and computers in schools? Or invisible man suit?

05-26-2006, 11:21 PM	#10
czarina Webmaster Extraordinaire Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: A beautiful beach... Posts: 10,748	I want one! I wonder how long before they actually make them.

05-26-2006, 11:22 PM	#11
soulboy Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 663	__________________ 500GB + 5TB BW @ $5.95 \| LEarn how to generate 1 MILLION of hits \| Increase your PR - Best SEO Software