Invisibility cloak finally within reach ?

Top of Form 1Bottom of Form 1Harry Potter fans take note: scientists have finally come up with a workable design for an invisibility cloak. Physicists figured out the complex mathematical equations for making objects invisible by bending light around them last year.

A group of engineers at Purdue University in Indiana have now used those calculations to design a relatively simple device that ought to be able to - one day soon - make objects as big as an airplane simply disappear.

View: Full Article | Source: Yahoo! News

This is quite awesome, but I highly doubt this technology will be available publicly, other than the rich and famous that is, which is unfortunate. I would very much like to have an invisible cloak!

that would be awesome. . . but if a robber got his hands on one, lets just say there would be major problems. . .

i wonder what everything looks behind the person with the invisible cloak. like the way they're making this will u just see past the cloak normally?

They will probably look like Predator when he is cloaked. If you look carefully enough you will be able to see them.

They did a piece about this a while ago in the new scientist magazine.

Here the article:

Invisibily_cloak_from_New_Scientist.doc

I have put it in as a Document cos i tried it direct but was huge and it would annoy the other members and i think its against the rules

Sorry if the pictures are too big.

Got it from hear and because im a member i get all of it not just a snippet

MATE!!! thats MEntal!!!

WOW, Army Surplus sales will go through the roof!

think of all the cons.... if rapists, terriests, serial killers, even the govnment get their hands on this???

Bye Bye police force it would be terrible

think of all the cons.... if rapists, terriests, serial killers, even the govnment get their hands on this???

Bye Bye police force it would be terrible

Yeah, they should just leave it alone :\ too many horrible people will abuse it.

The only good use for invisiblity is in War. An invisible army would win for sure. One invisible Robot could destroy hundreds of soldiers and they wouldn't even know what hit them. Unfortunately it's bound to be put to bad use. Spy's would end up using them and while they are spying im sure they would end up taking advantage of there invisibility. New kinds of detection systems would have to be set up in banks and the such.

i wonder what everything looks behind the person with the invisible cloak. like the way they're making this will u just see past the cloak normally?

It seems to me that you would just see past the cloak like normal... after all, the light is bent, but not blocked, you know? I can't even begin to imagine the consequences of something like this.

Technology. Our best friend and worst enemy.

an invisibility cloak- mmuuuuuhahahaha, nice knickers!

actually, this technology has been in the works since ww1. its funny to think about all the aspects of the stories in todays world-you know, like sightings of shadow ppl and stuff, ufos ect..

- it reminds me of the star trek episodes when the ship come out of invisiblilty and the whole crew is shocked-lol

The thread title is misleading, we're still absolutely nowhere near achieving realistic invisibility. There's even dispute over whether it's possible to manipulate optical light as you would need to for the method to work.

actually, this technology has been in the works since ww1.

The principles of it were only devised in the late 1960's.

I still think that the pro's outweigh the cons by far...