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Post by beth on Jan 16, 2009 2:56:46 GMT
Science closing in on cloak of invisibility WASHINGTON (AP) - They can't match Harry Potter yet, but scientists are moving closer to creating a real cloak of invisibility. Researchers at Duke University, who developed a material that can "cloak" an item from detection by microwaves, report that they have expanded the number of wavelengths they can block.
Last August the team reported they had developed so-called metamaterials that could deflect microwaves around a three-dimensional object, essentially making it invisible to the waves.
The system works like a mirage, where heat causes the bending of light rays and cloaks the road ahead behind an image of the sky.
The researchers report in Thursday's edition of the journal Science that they have developed a series of mathematical commands to guide the development of more types of metamaterials to cloak objects from an increasing range of electromagnetic waves.
"The new device can cloak a much wider spectrum of waves—nearly limitless—and will scale far more easily to infrared and visible light. The approach we used should help us expand and improve our abilities to cloak different types of waves," senior researcher David R. Smith said in a statement.
The new cloak is made up of more than 10,000 individual pieces of fiberglass arranged in parallel rows. The mathematical formulas are used to determine the shape and placement of each piece to deflect the electromagnetic waves.
The research was supported by Raytheon Missile Systems, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, InnovateHan Technology, the National Science Foundation of China, the National Basic Research Program of China and National Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China.
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Post by drewsmom595 on Jan 16, 2009 10:50:27 GMT
This is pretty cool!
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Post by Big Lin on Jan 16, 2009 12:24:37 GMT
Hm, maybe it's just me but I can see the downsides as well. Imagine being groped by an invisible assailant on the subway for instance!
Or mugged by someone you can't even detect!
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Post by swl on Jan 16, 2009 21:28:20 GMT
I used to have one of them. Dunno where I put it though
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Post by chefmate51 on Jan 19, 2009 14:49:29 GMT
I would love one of those and have some fun doing pay back
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