invisibility cloak

juantoo3 · 10-22-2006, 12:39 AM

This is really just a tease. I left my newspaper at work. One of the front page articles mentioned that some scientists were playing with an invisibility cloak, and had a working model that disguised / shielded a copper cylinder.

Did anybody else see this, and maybe follow up on it more. The science is a bit out of my realm, but intriguing just the same...

flowperson · 10-22-2006, 12:56 AM

Hi Juan;

This was all over the web news sites last week. The science is esoteric and involves the use of lasers and electromagnetics to somehow divert the normal flows of photons around the cylinder so that they cannot strike the surface of the cylinder and hence it is not seen. Think of water flowing around a rock in a stream. However, their first iterations of the experiments weren't entirely successful since a shadow cast by the cylinder in some instances was still noticeable. They believe that they can fix that soon.

They had worked out the theory a few months ago in the UK, and these were the first experiments with an apparatus to demonstrate the phenomenon.

I wonder if Chevy Chase has heard about this? Of course no one here probably remembers the original invisible man in the movies, Claude Rains, but unfortunately I do.

flow....

juantoo3 · 10-22-2006, 01:59 AM

Kindest Regards, Flow!

Quote:

Originally Posted by flowperson

This was all over the web news sites last week. The science is esoteric and involves the use of lasers and electromagnetics to somehow divert the normal flows of photons around the cylinder so that they cannot strike the surface of the cylinder and hence it is not seen. Think of water flowing around a rock in a stream. However, their first iterations of the experiments weren't entirely successful since a shadow cast by the cylinder in some instances was still noticeable. They believe that they can fix that soon.

They had worked out the theory a few months ago in the UK, and these were the first experiments with an apparatus to demonstrate the phenomenon.

I wonder if Chevy Chase has heard about this? Of course no one here probably remembers the original invisible man in the movies, Claude Rains, but unfortunately I do.

Ummm...I remember the original "Invisible Man," if only vaguely. I do appreciate the homage done to him (and many other sci-fi "B" movies) in the theme song of "Rocky Horror Picture Show."

Thanks for the tip. I wonder if this is something we will hear more about, or if this is one of those "esoteric sciences" that disappears from public view and becomes "hush-hush?"

wil · 10-23-2006, 02:49 PM

The article I remember reading said yes it itself would be invisible but the disruption in the field would not be. So the view would contain waves like looking through heat waves...they referenced some modern science fiction movie... lotsa help I am...

17th Angel · 10-23-2006, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juantoo3

This is really just a tease. I left my newspaper at work. One of the front page articles mentioned that some scientists were playing with an invisibility cloak, and had a working model that disguised / shielded a copper cylinder.

Did anybody else see this, and maybe follow up on it more. The science is a bit out of my realm, but intriguing just the same...

I heard aboot it, but I also heard recentley that they have in fact misplaced it and can't find it now :|

sara[h]ng · 10-25-2006, 12:52 AM

lol 17th

What I read about this is somewhat less exciting than the title suggests. For one, it isn't a cloak or anything that could be worn. If I remember correctly, it's a large and heavy plate surfaced with nanostructures. For two, it isn't photons that it deflects, it's microwaves. So the human eye can still see the covered object.

The value of the development comes in two forms, first, this surface that deflects microwaves will also then reflect radar, which of course, the military likes very much. Secondly, while this particular surface only deflects microwaves, the technology is a step towards deflecting visual light. And that's pretty cool.

Link to a news article

17th Angel · 10-25-2006, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sara[h]ng

lol 17th

yup, I got jokes.

jiii · 11-01-2006, 09:20 PM

I remembered reading about invisibility cloaks many months ago. I was able to find the link. It's at HowStuffWorks.com, which is a pretty cool site, by the way. It attempts to explain the technology as simply as possible, shows a few pictures of what is currently developed, and goes into some challenges faced in creating a genuinely-usable invisibility cloak.

Howstuffworks "How Invisibility Cloaks Work"

Quahom1 · 11-12-2006, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sara[h]ng

lol 17th

What I read about this is somewhat less exciting than the title suggests. For one, it isn't a cloak or anything that could be worn. If I remember correctly, it's a large and heavy plate surfaced with nanostructures. For two, it isn't photons that it deflects, it's microwaves. So the human eye can still see the covered object.

The value of the development comes in two forms, first, this surface that deflects microwaves will also then reflect radar, which of course, the military likes very much. Secondly, while this particular surface only deflects microwaves, the technology is a step towards deflecting visual light. And that's pretty cool.

Link to a news article

Students at University of Tokyo have a "cloak" that creates a "cameleon" effect. Tiny cameras throughout the fabric of the coat record the scenes in front of the them, and then transfer the images to the opposite side of the coat's photo reflective surface. In essence one is wearing an IMAX theater screen.

juantoo3 · 11-15-2006, 02:19 AM

Thank you Sarah, JIII, and Q!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quahom1

Students at University of Tokyo have a "cloak" that creates a "cameleon" effect. Tiny cameras throughout the fabric of the coat record the scenes in front of the them, and then transfer the images to the opposite side of the coat's photo reflective surface. In essence one is wearing an IMAX theater screen.

Yes, I saw the stuff about the cloak with minicams, thought it interesting but not wholly satisfying. And I realize the stuff with the cylinder so far is only radar invisible, but that the researchers felt it was a significant step towards photo-invisibility (is that a word?). Anyway, when I looked into this a little bit, I couldn't help but be reminded of one of those "conspiracy theorist" standbys: The Philadelphia Experiment. I thought it quite telling how google can be manipulated...the very first entry listed was a military refutation, point by point, that such an experiment ever took place.

flowperson · 11-15-2006, 10:36 PM

Hi Juan:

Did you ever catch the 1984 film about the Philly experiment ? Lots of covering up went on after that came out. Really, a pretty good job of telling a linear story from so many fragments of fact. If you can find it to rent do so, IMO it's worth the bucks and your time.

Oh...and there's a book being written right now about the life of Thomas Townsend Brown, the scientist supposedly in charge of the experiment. Here's the website:

http://www.ttbrown.com

flow....

juantoo3 · 11-28-2006, 10:06 PM

Kindest Regards, Flow!

Sorry it took a while, but I just found this the other day. Sorry to make apologies, but with the holiday, wife's birthday, etc. etc. etc., well, I hope you know how it is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flowperson

Did you ever catch the 1984 film about the Philly experiment ? Lots of covering up went on after that came out. Really, a pretty good job of telling a linear story from so many fragments of fact. If you can find it to rent do so, IMO it's worth the bucks and your time.

Oh, yeah! Oldie but goodie!

Quote:

Oh...and there's a book being written right now about the life of Thomas Townsend Brown, the scientist supposedly in charge of the experiment. Here's the website:

TTBrown

I did look at this website, some really neat and interesting links to chase.

Ion wind generators? Hmmm...is that what they are calling them now? Used to have a book titled "Cosmic Conspiracy", forget the author (Stan Deyo, I think) and its probably long out of print, but he mentioned some of the "electro-magnetic counter-gravitational devices" being played with from the thirties to the fifties before a big hush fell over the whole field. It does give one pause to consider...

It does make one wonder how far along Einstein got towards a GUT. Seems a few of his students tried to carry the ball forward, but no one really has made any significant yardage in Einstein's wake in that regard. Especially since (if I am reading the material correctly from various sides) Quantum theory and Einsteinian Relativity do not fully agree and complement each other.

I don't think we quite understand exactly what gravity is. Or if somebody *does* know, they're not letting the cat out of the bag.