Scientists Close In on the Advent of an "Invisiblity Cloak"; Successfully Cloak a Free-Standing Obje - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Bobie;34417660]why are people agreeing with this, when was the last time stealth bombers were seen by people seeing them and calling into their local PD or something call of duty kiddies should not be allowed near science[/QUOTE] What the fuck, are you suggesting that stealth jets are really invisible?

Why do people actually want invisibility? That's the last thing we need.

[QUOTE=dass;34415439]If only we could make suits like the nanosuit from Crysis1 and 2. Little light reflecting rocks or whatever solidified and turned the wearer almost invisible. Damn that would be cool.[/QUOTE] I think that the way that the suit worked in Crysis 1 was that it blocked photons which wouldn't really do much other than make the wearer into a literal scary black man, as in it blocks all the light and turns the entire suit black. The one in Crysis 2 makes a lot more sense though, since it uses that kinda camera shit and works like a TV screen.

First step on the road to [img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3d87cxg8_dE/TOkYOnAJ5RI/AAAAAAAAATY/lOgWO2mOHc0/s1600/Normandy_Mass_Effect.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=MajorMattem;34417946]First step on the road to [img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3d87cxg8_dE/TOkYOnAJ5RI/AAAAAAAAATY/lOgWO2mOHc0/s1600/Normandy_Mass_Effect.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] Actually I think it's pretty much there. The ship doesn't physically turn invisible, it just makes the engine go really really slow and blocks out SPESS RADAR and shit.

[QUOTE=Reds;34413352]So what would happen if you put a true invisibility cloak on inside out?[/QUOTE] Because invisibility cloaks are just rain coats that you can't see. Also it'd still be invisible. Unless the lining of the coat is polyester or cotton or some shit, as opposed to being made of invisible like the rest of your proposed cloak.

Now to make an invisible cloak like in Harry Potter, and drill a hole in the crotch area.

[QUOTE=Falchion;34417804]What the fuck, are you suggesting that stealth jets are really invisible?[/QUOTE] no lol, im suggesting that a radar stealth jet is way more useful than a jet than cant be seen visually

someone needs to fund some saran wrap of this shit as a prank measure

[QUOTE=Jasun;34417887]Why do people actually want invisibility? That's the last thing we need.[/QUOTE] This is actually a great point. The only use I can see this having would be deception, and I would really like to say that at this point we as a race should be realizing that deceiving each other and creating wars with each other is a pointless and terrible idea.

I'm sure the actual scientists for this know exactly what they're doing, so I'm going to attribute this to bad reporting: [quote]When the incoming light hits the meta-material, instead of bouncing the photons back in one direction, it excites and scatters them in random outward directions, which makes it impossible to see. [/quote] Isn't that just what happens with normal objects? If the light hits the surface and gets scattered in every direction, that would just make it opaque. If you're on the other side of the object from a light source, the light source is going to be blocked because the photons coming from it aren't going to reach you.

I wouldn't call it an "invisibility cloak" but more of a "microwave shield" or whatever. Got my hopes up too.

[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;34419120]Isn't that just what happens with normal objects? If the light hits the surface and gets scattered in every direction, that would just make it opaque. If you're on the other side of the object from a light source, the light source is going to be blocked because the photons coming from it aren't going to reach you.[/QUOTE] This is true. A piece of paper scatters all kinds of visible light in all directions, that's why it's white. Basically if you wrap something in paper, you'd have something similar to this, except this is microwaves, which works in a different way, which is why it's interesting.

Invisibility cloak? One more step towards IRL Harry Potter.

[QUOTE=LarparNar;34419485]This is true. A piece of paper scatters all kinds of visible light in all directions, that's why it's white. Basically if you wrap something in paper, you'd have something similar to this, except this is microwaves, which works in a different way, which is why it's interesting.[/QUOTE] But we already have objects that block microwave radiation in this way. They're called microwave ovens.

[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;34420473]But we already have objects that block microwave radiation in this way. They're called microwave ovens.[/QUOTE] As far as I know, microwave ovens either reflect microwaves directly, or absorb them. This new thing is apparently about scattering the waves in all directions.

I think microwave ovens create some sort of standing wave, which requires reflection (or a second wave source)

[QUOTE=LarparNar;34419485]This is true. A piece of paper scatters all kinds of visible light in all directions, that's why it's white. Basically if you wrap something in paper, you'd have something similar to this, except this is microwaves, which works in a different way, which is why it's interesting.[/QUOTE]No, the reason it's white is that it reflects all the colours of the spectrum, rather than absorbing certain colours (which correspond to specific frequencies), it has nothing to do with what direction the light is going. [editline]28th January 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=lulzbocksV2;34410523]So basically they didn't create an invisibility cloak they figured out a way to block microwaves from three dimensions. Lame[/QUOTE]This allows microwaves to pass through an object and be seen as if the object was not there. The same principles can theoretically be applied to light, which is just another part of the electromagnetic spectrum like microwaves. [editline]28th January 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Number-41;34420786]I think microwave ovens create some sort of standing wave, which requires reflection (or a second wave source)[/QUOTE]Nah, iirc the food is rotated in most microwaves in order to make sure there's even exposure to the microwaves.

[QUOTE=Sgt Doom;34422393]No, the reason it's white is that it reflects all the colours of the spectrum, rather than absorbing certain colours (which correspond to specific frequencies), it has nothing to do with what direction the light is going.[/QUOTE] If it just reflected it without scattering the light, it would be a mirror, would it not?

Ghost reporting.

I don't get it, I can already see my microwave without any problems.

[QUOTE=Sgt Doom;34422393]No, the reason it's white is that it reflects all the colours of the spectrum, rather than absorbing certain colours (which correspond to specific frequencies), it has nothing to do with what direction the light is going. [/QUOTE] That's pretty much what he said, and it does have a lot to do with the direction light is reflected. [QUOTE=Sgt Doom;34422393] This allows microwaves to pass through an object and be seen as if the object was not there. The same principles can theoretically be applied to light, which is just another part of the electromagnetic spectrum like microwaves. [/QUOTE] No, it doesn't pass through the object. Incoming microwaves will usually reflect at the same angle they are incident on a surface. This coating absorbs the microwaves, and re-emits them in all directions, effectively making the surface invisible (Because only a minute fraction of the incident microwaves are reflected straight back to the source where they would be detected.) Our eyes don't work like that - we don't emit visible light from our eyes and detect the light reflecting off surfaces that comes back, so if there were such a coating for the visible spectrum the object still wouldn't appear invisible to the human eye. I'm not exactly sure what it would look like, but look up spectroscopy (line absorption and emission), from the article it looks like a similar sort of thing. [QUOTE=Sgt Doom;34422393] Nah, iirc the food is rotated in most microwaves in order to make sure there's even exposure to the microwaves.[/QUOTE] Yes, even exposure to the standing wave which Number-41 described.

[QUOTE=Cone;34417930]I think that the way that the suit worked in Crysis 1 was that it blocked photons which wouldn't really do much other than make the wearer into a literal scary black man, as in it blocks all the light and turns the entire suit black. The one in Crysis 2 makes a lot more sense though, since it uses that kinda camera shit and works like a TV screen.[/QUOTE] The novel said that the suit had some sort of light bending field, on account of your weapon becoming invisible too. [editline]28th January 2012[/editline] Nerdout!

[QUOTE=Little Green;34428921]... Our eyes don't work like that - we don't emit visible light from our eyes and detect the light reflecting off surfaces that comes back, so if there were such a coating for the visible spectrum the object still wouldn't appear invisible to the human eye. I'm not exactly sure what it would look like, but look up spectroscopy (line absorption and emission), from the article it looks like a similar sort of thing. ...[/QUOTE] I'm pretty sure it'd look like a crazy mirror if it scattered all incoming light randomly, which also means that while you couldn't see the object, you could see the shape of the object and it's location.

They should cover TV dinners with this stuff and watch as consumers get frustrated.

[QUOTE=TheDecryptor;34441555]I'm pretty sure it'd look like a crazy mirror if it scattered all incoming light randomly, which also means that while you couldn't see the object, you could see the shape of the object and it's location.[/QUOTE] I'm still pretty sure it would look white.

[QUOTE=LarparNar;34442773]I'm still pretty sure it would look white.[/QUOTE] If it scattered all incoming light it would probably look like a curved mirror. But it's all kind of pointless cause this only works for microwaves.

[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;34442799]If it scattered all incoming light it would probably look like a curved mirror. But it's all kind of pointless cause this only works for microwaves.[/QUOTE] No, if it reflected all light it would look like a curved mirror, but if it scatters individual photons, it won't.

[QUOTE=LarparNar;34442773]I'm still pretty sure it would look white.[/QUOTE] If it only reflects a small amount of radiation back to the source, wouldn't it look black if it was in the visible spectrum? [editline]29th January 2012[/editline] Unless you shone a huge light on it, that is.

[QUOTE=Contag;34442862]If it only reflects a small amount of radiation back to the source, wouldn't it look black if it was in the visible spectrum? [editline]29th January 2012[/editline] Unless you shone a huge light on it, that is.[/QUOTE] Well yes, a paper is black if you're in a dark room.