Scientists close to Potter-style 'invisibility cloak'

ABC.Net ^ | 4-6-2007 | staff writer

[bedolido]

Scientists say they have finally come up with a workable design for an invisibility cloak.

Physicists figured out the complex mathematical equations for making objects invisible by bending light around them last year.

Now a group of engineers at Purdue University in Indiana have used those calculations to design a relatively simple device that ought to be able to - one day soon - make objects as big as an aeroplane simply disappear.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Invented by the Clingons.

[bedolido]

sorry... it’s Klingons... and we don’t meet them for another 100 years

[ClearCase_guy]

The major limitation is that the current design can only bend the light of a single wave-length at a time, and does not work with the entire frequency range of the visible spectrum.

"How to create a design that works for all colours of visible light at the same time will be a big technical challenge, but we believe it's possible," Professor Shalaev said. "In principle, it's doable."

It sounds neat, amd I'm happy to see the advance.

But the headline writer's definition of "close" is not what I would call "close".

[DogBarkTree]

Perhaps spittin Nancy can take a fashion suggestion.

[Tenacious 1]

It sounds like this technology needs to be classified as it would seem to rendor some of our laser guided military munitions useless.

It is however, cool.

[AppyPappy]

I have one of these

[Experiment 6-2-6]

Excuse me?

The cloaking device was from the Romulans...

[AntiGuv]

FutureTechPing!

An emergent technologies list covering biomedical research, fusion power, nanotech, AI robotics, and other related fields. FReepmail to join or drop.

[secretagent]

I’ll believe it when I don’t see it.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Just what we need. An invisible “aeroplane”.

Anybody seen Wonder Woman lately?

[LIConFem]

True, and the Federation weenies signed away their right to develop one of their own when they signed a treaty with the Romulans and/or Klingons (I forget which). Even the 24^th century is full of self-loathing wimps.

[bedolido]

“I’ll believe it when I don’t see it.”

How is that possible? How would you know?

[massgopguy]

Invented by the Romulans and pirated by the Klingons.

[Red Badger]

Bert did it on Soap in the late 70's.........

[safeasthebanks]

"Invented by the Romulans and pirated by the Klingons."

That's how I remember it as well (he sheepishly admits to knowing).

[Centurion2000]

Invented by the Romulans and pirated by the Klingons.

Nope, the Romulans gave the Klingons the secret to the cloaking device. Of course it was always the one previous to state of the art.

And yeah, the Federation was a total wuss for making the Neutral Zone and giving up cloaking tech.

[Waverunner]

Damn those Klingons sure have ugly women.

[massgopguy]

Many FR threads invariably lead to references to; Star Trek, The Three Stooges, The Simpsons (MONORAIL!) etc.... Dialog is recalled with disturbing accuracy.

[bedolido]

How did the enterprise end up with it? I know they were’nt suupose to have it -— but somehow got it -— hardly ever used it though (so many important matters worldwide.. and this one really bothers me since I cannot remember)