SCI/TECH: Scientists Make Strides Toward Real 'Cloaking Device'

Science fiction technology has come closer to reality with the announcement by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania of research into a concept of light scattering that could lead to an effective stealth solution and possibly a true invisibility shield.



"The concept is an interesting one. It could find uses in stealth technology and camouflage" - Dr John Pendry, physicist, Imperial College London

This research seems to indicate that the technology for visual stealth is coming closer to practical application. Optical stealth combined with other low-observable technology will make for formidable advances in military aircraft capabilities. This could also revolutionize the concept of camouflage as we know it today. Even with the limitations pertaining to shape and wavelengths described in the text, it is still possible to use this technique to hide satellites and spacecraft from the RADAR used to track them.

The article also touches on non-military application for this light scattering effect, including microscopy and the production of anti-glare materials.

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Great post!

I had just been reading about Plasmonic Covers. Very timely and intriguing.

*sigh* and I got all worked up over this for nothing.

works only for one given wavelength at a time, so at best can stop a given frequency, if it's known well enough in advance. Might be effective against laser designators, but even a single hertz shift in frequency, and it fails.

If it were controllable, and could be made to work in a range, all it would do is prevent any return fo light. Might work at night, but shadows would still be as nice and sharp edged as normal.

At best, a scientific tool for filtering unwanted radiation. at worst, more buzzwords to attempt to boost stock prices. "Plasmions"? I cna understand the discovery of new particles with new properties at the sub-nuclear level, released or created in high-energy events. But as a new property of the standard, commonplace electron shell of metals? My "skeptometer" is really going off.

Phugedaboudet, why? Is Nature no long credible?

I have a couple of questions about this paper, 1. Can this new tool be used to get around the uncertainty principal? 2. Can this be scaled up to make people invisible or is it strickly invisible atoms and the like?

But will it cloak the Romulan ship I have in my back yard? The neighbors have been complaining about it 'obstructing their view of the stars' for months now. Gosh, now I have to wait not only for it to sell, but until the price drops below 480 billion dollars...

Originally posted by saint4God
But will it cloak the Romulan ship I have in my back yard? The neighbors have been complaining about it 'obstructing their view of the stars' for months now.

Gosh, now I have to wait not only for it to sell, but until the price drops below 480 billion dollars...

At least you have a nice Romulan ship. I got stuck with a second hand Klingon Bird of Prey. What a bucket of junk! Its cloaking device only makes the hull and crew uniforms transparent. Talk about anti-cloak!

Originally posted by Ikema
At least you have a nice Romulan ship. I got stuck with a second hand Klingon Bird of Prey. What a bucket of junk! Its cloaking device only makes the hull and crew uniforms transparent. Talk about anti-cloak!

Oh my *wipes a tear*, that was beautiful...

Originally posted by Ikema
At least you have a nice Romulan ship. I got stuck with a second hand Klingon Bird of Prey. What a bucket of junk! Its cloaking device only makes the hull and crew uniforms transparent. Talk about anti-cloak!

just be sure to crew it with playboy bunnies, and models and you will be all set.