Cloaking Device For Real, Yo

A "study" reports scientists are "open-minded" on the feasibility of cloaking devices and full-on invisibility.

A new study suggests that a "cloaking device" that makes objects invisible could someday move out of the realm of science fiction and fantasy, and become a reality.

Duke University scientists say they've conducted a demonstration of the first working "invisibility cloak" that deflects microwave beams so they flow around an object with little distortion, making it appear as if there's almost nothing there.

This kind of technology has the potential to hide objects of any size or material and could have a number of wireless communication or radar applications, the scientists said. Their research was published in the Oct. 19 online issue of Science.

The invisibility cloak was created using "metamaterials" precisely arranged in a series of concentric circles that confer specific electromagnetic properties, the scientists explained. Metamaterials are artificial composites that can be made to interact with electromagnetic waves in ways that aren't possible with natural materials.

"By incorporating complex material properties, our cloak allows a concealed volume, plus the cloak, to appear to have properties similar to free space when viewed externally," David R. Smith, professor of electrical and computer engineering, said in a prepared statement.

Too cool.

How many people would rather have been born 100 or 200 years ago, or 100 or 200 years from now?

Everthing cool's already been discovered, and everything yet to be discovered, or reduced to working prototype, is fifty or more years away.

Sure, there's this supposed "flying car" available on eBay, and yeah, there's this supposed "Flying Commando Wing Rocket Suit," which I've already linked and is still pure ass.

But where's the really cool stuff? Nowhere, that's where.

Thanks to JS and JackStraw (different ones) for those last two items.

posted by Ace at 07:24 PM

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