Farty's Fortunes

Monday 11 August 2008

Invisibility News

Yes, Tefal-heads have come a step closer to producing a fully working invisibility cloak just like in Harry Potter. Well, sort of. Depending on which article you read, the boffins have either stumbled upon the new meta-material or spent years of their lives turning theory into practice. Stumbled. You know, like Oppenheimer stumbled upon the atom bomb.

The structure, described in Nature, works in the infrared spectrum, but the same principle should work with visible light..."It’s just a question of fabrication." Just the one teensy problem there. This isn't a "switch it on, switch it off" cloaking device, it's a passive meta-material. Light falls on it and presto! It bends the light away. My guess is they've already built dozens of working prototypes, but can't find any of them.

Anyways, it's great, because this new technique can hide tanks, aircraft and even warships. It must be true, it was on the internet!

Here's an earlier attempt at invisibility. Still needs some work, methinks.

5 comments:

United Studies said...

Why wouldn't they make an on/off switch?

Mr Farty said...

Jacki - I'm sure they would love to, but it's like putting an off switch on a scarf or a pair of glasses. Or a cloak.

Unknown said...

Good old Python! Nice one Mr. F!!

Anonymous said...

Yet again, UK technology has 30 years advance on our ex-colonial-over-paid-over-here cousins.

*Sigh* If only we had their funding.

Bugger it, I'm off for a spin in my British Leyland flying machine.
The windshield-wiper never did work, but it's got the coolest Ferguson 8-track.

Mr Farty said...

John - You're welcome.

Ché - Tee-hee! Or LOL or whatever.