For you Harry Potter aficionados....
Could you one day don your own Cloak of Invisibility? Well, at least you could using the research from the Texas laboratory...if you were a small cylinder and you were using microwave frequencies rather than in the visible spectrum...but the field is progressing.Scientists come a step closer to 'invisibility cloak'
If you can't wait until then, you could always purchase your own "Harry Potter Cloak of Invisibility"...
HP Cloak of Invisibility Sale Via ETSY
I'm very glad you posted this article. It is very interesting to think that we are on the brink (relatively speaking) of actually creating invisibility cloaks. I have personally noticed concepts of fictional stories being more and more within the grasp of reality as the front of technology advances. It is exciting times to live in, and also a bit frightening, not knowing how and when this technology can get into the wrong hands.
ReplyDeleteI remember a few years ago when a Japanese company was trying to produce an invisibility cloak. Well, it was more like an invisibility blazer for men. If I remember correctly, the concept that when one looked at the cloak, there were cameras on the opposite side facing the direction you were looking. They simply portrayed the image, behind where the person was looking at the cloak, on the front of the cloak in micro-screens. It was essentially an intricate, chain-mail of micro-screens and cameras that portrayed the image behind the cloak exactly opposite of where the onlooker was observing from. It was an interesting concept but I'm sure the apparatus was cumbersome. Also, the image portrayed on the cloak looked like a TV screen, broken into many small segments. It did give an accurate view of what what behind the cloak but did not essentially give an "invisible look."
The article stated that "it would only work on objects much thinner than a single strand of hair." Since most people are doing the exact opposite of trying to make their hair disappear, I think there is still a mountain of research and study that must be overcome before this proves to have potential uses.
I don't want to sound like a pessimist but I foresee a plethora criminal based methods and schemes arising from this new, microwave neutralizing, technology. Just as the last paragraph in the article stated the possibility of disrupting police radars with this "mantle cloak" technology, I can only imagine the amount of new criminal technology that would be created. However, this concern is considered with any new technology that is found/created. Criminals will always take advantage of something that will put them a step ahead of crime-fighters. Despite the possibility of invisibility technology being high-jacked by organized criminal groups, this concept is quite impressive and perplexing.
This is an interesting topic for sure! It makes me want to work harder in my studies of Physics. I never would have guessed that they would actually be able to do this! My question for this would be: who would be able to have the power to do this? Would it be military persons or could anyone that has enough money get it? Although this is cool, it seems dangerous in the wrong hands and scary. Terrorists could be worse, rapists and kidnappers could be worse, any criminal that is able to get a hold of this will be able to hide out forever and get away with whatever their doing.
ReplyDeleteThey mentioned that it could be used in car paint. That would be funny. Floating people with an invisible car.
All in all, it would be cool, I just think it needs to be tightly regulated because it could end horribly.
Although the idea of making an invisibility cloak is interesting and the advancements in science in this area is quite impressive. But I really wonder about the future applications for this technology. I have watched enough action/adventure movies to know that the only people who would use this are the military or criminals. I can't imagine other uses of this for everyday people unless they REALLY wanted to avoid somebody. Like Kim said in her response, it would have to be tightly regulated by the government.
ReplyDeleteWhat a huge feat for the science! It's amazing to think that about things we never thought would be possible become a reality. Just as the article said, this new capability could pave the way for better camouflage and invisibility when dealing with the visible spectrum that humans can see. If this were to become a reality, the government would definitely have tight control on it and would most likely use it for military gain. More expectations on a real life "cloak of invisibility" would include black market sales and new laws placed on it, or just regulating the type of the invisibility product used. The article stated that it could be incorporated into a car's paint, so what's to stop it from being put into a person's clothing. Though it is an extremely great idea, there would be too many problems related with its production eventually creating a slippery slope.
ReplyDeleteI found it fascinating that by bending light around an object you can make it invisible. It is amazing that people can manufacture synthetic materials with strange properties, such as negative refractive indexes. The negative refractive index is what is responsible for rendering an object invisible. These synthetic materials can bend light around them without causing distortion. This a key point in the development of new cloaking materials. If light is bent around an object but causes distortion, the object is not truly invisible. The distortion of light can be seen by detectors. This new synthetic material can turn an object invisible to the microwave spectrum of light with little to no distortion. This makes the object completely undetectable by microwave radiation. That is pretty amazing science! This article is relatively old and the field of cloaking may have drastically advanced. A Canadian company called Hyperstealth claims to have made an invisibility cloak that works with the entire visible and infrared spectrum. The principles behind the technology are secret. If the technology works as well as Hyperstealth claims, this would be a huge step for cloaking technology! The one dark side of this advancement in technology is the practical applications. Militaries or criminals could use this type of technology to perform immoral deeds with no ramifications. How can you prove a person guilty of a crime if you cannot even see them? These are the types of questions that could be entering our judicial system within the next couple decades.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.extremetech.com/extreme/143353-canadian-camouflage-company-claims-to-have-created-perfect-invisibility-cloak-us-military-soon-to-be-invisible
This is a pretty cool idea! I have seen several different attempts at this illusion with mirrors (as they mentioned), but this is certainly a new, interesting, and perhaps promising take on an old idea.
ReplyDeleteInstead of bending the light they disturb the wave. This allows for something to be undetected by radio waves, which apparently will "pave the way" for further development on the matter. Eventually, perhaps, leading to development of something that is undetectable by the human eye. This would be an interesting topic to keep up on and see the further developments. Overall, this was a very interesting article! Thank you for sharing.
This is a highly interesting field of study. The creation of an invisibility cloak would change the very nature of war and even the ways people live their day-to-day lives. The physics behind this invisibility suit are a bit difficult to grasp, but it seems to be based upon the angle of light refraction and how this is perceived by an observer. Also, the cloak distributes light in such a way so that it propagates photons from surrounding objects towards the observer, giving him or her the impression that there is no invisibility cloak (or anyone hiding beneath it). It will be extremely interesting to see how quickly this cloak can be developed and what implications it will carry for personal security.
ReplyDeleteWhile I personally think that teleporting is by far the best super power there is, I will admit that invisibility is pretty high up there as well. To think about all the secret conversations you could listen to and all the mischievous pranks you could pull if no one else could see you. I mean what Muggle in their right mind wouldn't want to try out Harry Potter's invisibility cloak?
ReplyDeleteOn a more serious note however, this research holds so much potential and possibility for danger that I can't help but wonder if such experiments should even receive funding. While most of the physics behind this phenomenon went over my head, I was able to glean that these scientists have taken a step towards making invisibility a reality by cloaking a steel rod from microwave detectors. While this might seem like a far cry from what we've read in the Harry Potter books or seen in many Sci-Fi movies, it is more of an accomplishment than we might think. Mainly due to the fact that the wavelength difference between microwaves and visible light is not of astronomical significance. In fact today, we know more about visible light than ever before. Contemporary physicists can easily study refraction and bending patterns in much more controlled environments than either Huygen or Young, which significantly increases their likelihood of accomplishing this magnificent feat. Its scary to think that in years to come we might be able to cloak people, cars, houses...the works. Possible dangers aside, it is an exhilarating thought and I look forward to learning more about this field of study.