Words & Tricks

Dungeons & Dragons Geeks Rejoice!: Invisibility Cloak Invented

OK, the thing only works if you can see microwaves, and if you’re looking at something really, really small, but still. It’s invisible! The BBC wrote an article on it here. If you would like more in depth coverage of the device and how it works, then NewScientistTech has got you covered. Here is a brief excerpt.

In recent years, materials scientists have made rapid progress in making so-called “metamaterials”, which can have exotic electromagnetic properties unseen in nature. These are made up of repeating structures of simple electronic components such as capacitors and inductors.

In 2001, Smith built a metamaterial with a negative refractive index, which bends microwaves in a way impossible for ordinary lenses. Now he has gone one step further.

Of course, my internal pessimist wonders what the military applications of this are going to be. True stealth bombers? Surveilance robots? I shudder to think.

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