Harvey Wallbanger Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 Military Seeks Invisibility Cloak Associated Press 16:15 PM May, 25, 2006 WASHINGTON -- Imagine an invisibility cloak that works just like the one Harry Potter inherited from his father. Researchers in England and the United States think they know how to do that. They are laying out the blueprint and calling for help in developing the exotic materials needed to build a cloak. The keys are special manmade materials, unlike any in nature or the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These materials are intended to steer light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation around an object, rendering it as invisible as something tucked into a hole in space. "Is it science fiction? Well, it's theory and that already is not science fiction. It's theoretically possible to do all these Harry Potter things, but what's standing in the way is our engineering capabilities," said John Pendry, a physicist at the Imperial College London. Details of the study, which Pendry co-wrote, appear in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science. Scientists not involved in the work said it presents a solid case for making invisibility an attainable goal. "This is very interesting science and a very interesting idea and it is supported on a great mathematical and physical basis," said Nader Engheta, a professor of electrical and systems engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Engheta has done his own work on invisibility using novel materials called "metamaterials." Pendry and his co-authors also propose using metamaterials because they can be tuned to bend electromagnetic radiation -- radio waves and visible light, for example -- in any direction. A cloak made of those materials, with a structure designed down to the submicroscopic scale, would neither reflect light nor cast a shadow. Instead, like a river streaming around a smooth boulder, light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation would strike the cloak and simply flow around it, continuing on as if it never bumped up against an obstacle. That would give an onlooker the apparent ability to peer right through the cloak, with everything tucked inside concealed from view. "Yes, you could actually make someone invisible as long as someone wears a cloak made of this material," said Patanjali Parimi, a Northeastern University physicist and design engineer at Chelton Microwave in Bolton, Massachusetts. Parimi was not involved in the research. Such a cloak does not exist, but early versions that could mask microwaves and other forms of electromagnetic radiation could be as close as 18 months away, Pendry said. He said the study was "an invitation to come and play with these new ideas." "We will have a cloak after not too long," he said. The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency supported the research, given the obvious military applications of such stealthy technology. While Harry Potter could wear his cloak to skulk around Hogwarts, a real-world version probably would not be something just to be thrown on, Pendry said. "To be realistic, it's going to be fairly thick. 'Cloak' is a misnomer. 'Shield' might be more appropriate," he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^ . ^ Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 Whenever they perfect this, sans the cancers rays it'll put out, I want one. I would soooo punch my coworkers in the face repeatedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEEB Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 pirates vs ninjas vs cloaked-ninja-pirates. Oh yea, vs owls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Jefe Uno Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 i need one for teh bombing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Wallbanger Posted May 27, 2006 Author Share Posted May 27, 2006 I can't wait to see some idiot in the future get one of these and then get hit by a car or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AORAone Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 no shit. i dont think they would ever be able to sell it to the public, or if they perfected one, let it ever get even semi mass produced. people bitch because cell phone cameras and videos in cells invaide there privacy, this should would absolutly be the end of the world if even one of them got into some fucked up hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.yuck Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 panty raaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiidddddddddddddddd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iloveboxcars Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 this wont be released to the public. i wouldnt use one for bombing either. thats cheating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishCarBombs Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 i would use one to go steal some food and drinks cause im fucking starvingg and thirsty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CACashRefund Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 i was at the safeway parking lot today and i was like "errrrrrray, what it is ladies?" and they were like "are you serious?" and they walked off stupid sluts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soup BDC Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 I can see the newspapers the day after they invent this shit for the military. Ceasar Chavez points fingers at us military for almost hurting himself. Chavez' conspiratorial accusation consisted of a 'defecting Venezualian who pushed Ceasar backwards over a kneeling CIA agent wearing an invisble cloak.' Ceasar said his sources came from the Venezualian who said the practical joke was part of his agreement with the US government to help him defect himself and his family to the United States. I can't believe it's 5:00 am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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