Friday, November 21, 2008

Practical Magic?

I found this article today over at the National Geographic site fresh from their " believe it or not" files.

Invisibility Cloak "Feasible Now"

The latest milestone in the quest for a Harry Potter-like invisibility cloak has been reached: a way of bending the geometry of space so that light from all directions travels around an object, rather than hitting it. Unable to interact with light, the hidden object is therefore invisible, a new study found.....The science behind his study isn't new. "If you look at a fish [in an aquarium] it's not where it appears to be," Leonhardt said. That's because our brains insist on viewing light as having traveled in a straight line, when in fact the water has bent it. Glass does the same thing, which is why telescope lenses make objects appear closer.An invisibility cloak would simply replicate this process in a more sophisticated way.....

Just thought you might like a peek at what might be coming down the pike in the future. Think of the possibilities!

13 comments:

  1. I'd love to have an invisibility cloak! I hope the criminal element doesn't get a hold of this....

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  2. Criminal Element reporting in! Now you've got me all freaked out about looking at my fish. I know about the bent rays but I never thought about the fish. They could be ready to attack and I'll never know it. I watched a National Geographic program about light. Battlships are beind designed in such a way that Radar doesn't get that it's a battleship. Thinks it's a fishing boat. Send me one of those capes please.

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  3. I came here to comment on your post but when I arrived, it was invisible. All I saw were a bunch of fish!

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  4. Stevie, by the way little Daniel Radcliffe doesn't look like that anymore...he's all growed up and last I heard was running around starkers on a west end London stage...

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  5. Got my cloak on. Just thought I'd better let you know I was here, so as not to frighten you. ;^)

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  6. That is so neat! Let's all sneak into the local bank and ... ha ha :o))

    Sparky ♥ ∞

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  7. Wonderful... I could use one of those about now...
    :-D

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  8. I hope they don't send a consignment to South Africa.....though I wouldn't mind one for myself!

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  9. Way to make me paranoid, Stevie.

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  10. That would be breaking new ground.

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  11. Thanks Steviewren for the two interesting and informative blogs. I have learned something! - Dave

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  12. This sounds like Star Trek! The Kling-ons could make their war ship invisable. Not sure I'd like this to be a reality though -- imagine how it could invade our privavcy!?

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I'm glad you stopped by and I look forward to your comments. As Dr. Fraser Crane would say, "Hello, I'm listening."