 |
|
Scientists step closer to realising invisible technology
May 04, 2007A unique computer model designed by a mathematician at the University of Liverpool has shown that it is possible to make objects, such as airplanes and submarines, appear invisible at close range
A unique computer model designed by a mathematician at the University of Liverpool has shown that it is possible to make objects, such as aeroplanes and submarines, appear invisible at close range.
Scientists have already created an 'invisibility cloak' made out of 'metamaterial' which can bend electromagnetic radiation - such as visible light, radar or microwaves - around a spherical space, making an object within this region appear invisible.
Until now, scientists could only make objects appear invisible from far away. Liverpool mathematician Dr Sébastien Guenneau, together with Dr Frédéric Zolla and Professors André Nicolet from the University of Marseille, have proven - using a specially designed computer model called GETDP - that objects can also be made to appear invisible from close range when light travels in waves rather than beams.
Scientists predict that metamaterials could be of use in military technology, such as in the construction of fighter jets and submarines, but it will be some years before invisibility cloaks can be developed for human beings.
Dr Guenneau, at the University's Department of Mathematical Science, explains: "The shape and structure of aeroplanes make them ideal objects for cloaking, as they have a fixed structure and movement pattern. Human beings and animals are more difficult as their movement is very flexible, so the cloak - as it is designed at the moment - would easily be seen when the person or animal made any sudden movement.
"A cloak, such as the one worn by the Harry Potter character for example, is not yet possible but it is a good example of what we are trying to move towards. Using this new computer model we can prove that light can bend around an object under a cloak and is not diffracted by the object. This happens because the metamaterial that makes up the cloak stretches the metrics of space, in a similar way to what heavy planets and stars do for the metrics of space-time in Einstein's general relativity theory.
"In order for the cloaking device to work in the first place light has to separate into two or more waves resulting in a new wave pattern. Within this pattern we get light and dark regions which are needed in order for an object to appear invisible.
"Until now, however, it was not clear whether photons - particles that make up all forms of light - can split and form new waves when the light source is close to the object. If we use ray optic techniques - where light travels in beams - photons break down at close range and the object does not appear invisible. If we study light as it travels in waves however, invisibility is maintained."
Scientists predict that invisibility will be possible for objects of any shape and size within the next decade.
University of Liverpool
Until now, scientists could only make objects appear invisible from far away. Liverpool mathematician Dr Sébastien Guenneau, together with Dr Frédéric Zolla and Professors André Nicolet from the University of Marseille, have proven - using a specially designed computer model called GETDP - that objects can also be made to appear invisible from close range when light travels in waves rather than beams.
Scientists predict that metamaterials could be of use in military technology, such as in the construction of fighter jets and submarines, but it will be some years before invisibility cloaks can be developed for human beings.
Dr Guenneau, at the University's Department of Mathematical Science, explains: "The shape and structure of aeroplanes make them ideal objects for cloaking, as they have a fixed structure and movement pattern. Human beings and animals are more difficult as their movement is very flexible, so the cloak - as it is designed at the moment - would easily be seen when the person or animal made any sudden movement.
"A cloak, such as the one worn by the Harry Potter character for example, is not yet possible but it is a good example of what we are trying to move towards. Using this new computer model we can prove that light can bend around an object under a cloak and is not diffracted by the object. This happens because the metamaterial that makes up the cloak stretches the metrics of space, in a similar way to what heavy planets and stars do for the metrics of space-time in Einstein's general relativity theory.
"In order for the cloaking device to work in the first place light has to separate into two or more waves resulting in a new wave pattern. Within this pattern we get light and dark regions which are needed in order for an object to appear invisible.
"Until now, however, it was not clear whether photons - particles that make up all forms of light - can split and form new waves when the light source is close to the object. If we use ray optic techniques - where light travels in beams - photons break down at close range and the object does not appear invisible. If we study light as it travels in waves however, invisibility is maintained."
Scientists predict that invisibility will be possible for objects of any shape and size within the next decade.
University of Liverpool
Invisible Current Events and Invisible News RSSInvisibility visualized: German team unveils new software for rendering cloaked objects
Scientists and curiosity seekers who want to know what a partially or completely cloaked object would look like in real life can now get their wish -- virtually.
Researcher: 'Optical biopsy' for breast cancer increasingly accurate
But women may not have to endure the medical costs, stress and potential complications that accompany such invasive biopsies forever. A University of Florida biomedical engineering researcher is making progress on an "optical biopsy" that has the potential to determine whether growths are cancerous without ever puncturing the skin.
Hooks hijacked? New research shows how to block stealthy malware attacks
The spread of malicious software, also known as malware or computer viruses, is a growing problem that can lead to crashed computer systems, stolen personal information, and billions of dollars in lost productivity every year.
Puberty a gateway to heart disease for Canada's teens
A seven-year ongoing study examining over 20,000 Canadian grade 9 students shows most already have at least one major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, Dr. Brian McCrindle told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2009, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
Seeing previously invisible molecules for the first time
A team of Harvard chemists led by X. Sunney Xie has developed a new microscopic technique for seeing, in color, molecules with undetectable fluorescence.
Can we 'learn to see?': Study shows perception of invisible stimuli improves with training
Although we assume we can see everything in our field of vision, the brain actually picks and chooses the stimuli that come into our consciousness.
IBEX satellite finds ribbon-like structure at edge of heliosphere
The invisible structures of space are becoming less so, as scientists look out to the far edges of the solar wind bubble that separates our solar system from the interstellar cloud through which it flies.
Coronary imaging techniques helps to identify plaques likely to cause heart attacks
Late-breaking results from the PROSPECT clinical trial shed new light on the types of vulnerable plaque that are most likely to cause sudden, unexpected adverse cardiac events, and on the ability to identify them through imaging techniques before they occur.
Expert calls for new cancer research priorities
Cancer research is too focused on new drug development, while not enough money and effort is being devoted to pursuing important advances in knowledge likely to have the biggest impact on combating the disease in the next few decades, a leading research policy expert says, adding that a major shift in research priorities will be crucial to the ability to cope with the coming wave of cancer cases.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's LAMP shedding light on permanently shadowed regions of the Moon
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), launched on June 18 of this year, has begun its extensive exploration of the lunar environment and will return more data about the Moon than any previous mission.
More Invisible Current Events and Invisible News Articles
 |
Invisible (A Mace Bauer Mystery) by Paul Auster (Author) “One of America’s greatest novelists” dazzlingly reinvents the coming-of-age story in his most passionate and surprising book to date Sinuously constructed in four interlocking parts, Paul Auster’s fifteenth novel opens in New York City in the spring of 1967, when twenty-year-old Adam Walker, an aspiring poet and student at Columbia University, meets the enigmatic Frenchman Rudolf Born and his silent and seductive girfriend, Margot. Before long, Walker finds himself caught in a perverse triangle that leads to a sudden, shocking act of violence that will alter the course of his life. Three different narrators tell the story of Invisible, a novel that travels in time from 1967 to 2007 and moves from Morningside Heights, to the Left Bank of Paris, to a remote island in... |
 |
Invisible by Pete Hautman (Author), Pete Hautman (Illustrator) You could say that my railroad, the Madham Line, is almost the most important thing in my life. Next to Andy Morrow, my best friend. Lots of people think Doug Hanson is a freak -- he gets beat up after school, and the girl of his dreams calls him a worm. Doug's only refuge is creating an elaborate bridge for the model railroad in his basement and hanging out with his best friend, Andy Morrow, a popular football star who could date any girl in school. Doug and Andy talk about everything -- except what happened at the Tuttle place a few years back. It does not matter to Andy that we live in completely different realities. I'm Andy's best friend. It does not matter to Andy that we hardly ever actually do anything together. As Doug retreats deeper and deeper into his own reality,... |
 |
The Invisible Starring: Justin Chatwin From the producers of The Sixth Sense comes the gripping suspense-filled mystery, The Invisible. Nick Powell is a handsome young writer with a future as bright as he is. Then one tragic night he’s brutally attacked and left for dead — except he’s not. He’s trapped in a ghostly limbo where no one can see or hear him. Except for Annie, the one person who must get closer to Nick in order to save him from beyond his worst nightmare. If together they can quickly solve the mystery of his murder before it is too late, there’s a chance he’ll live again. |
 |
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (Author) Invisible Man is a milestone in American literature, a book that has continued to engage readers since its appearance in 1952. A first novel by an unknown writer, it remained on the bestseller list for sixteen weeks, won the National Book Award for fiction, and established Ralph Ellison as one of the key writers of the century. The nameless narrator of the novel describes growing up in a black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of "the Brotherhood", and retreating amid violence and confusion to the basement lair of the Invisible Man he imagines himself to be. The book is a passionate and witty tour de force of style, strongly influenced by T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land,... |
 |
How to Be Invisible: The Essential Guide to Protecting Your Personal Privacy, Your Assets, and Your Life (Revised Edition) by J.J. Luna (Author) From cyberspace to crawl spaces, new innovations in information gathering have left the private life of the average person open to scrutiny, and worse, exploitation. In this thoroughly revised update of his immensely popular guide How to Be Invisible, J.J. Luna shows you how to protect yourself from these information predators by securing your vehicle and real estate ownership, your bank accounts, your business dealings, your computer files, your home address, and more. J.J. Luna, a highly trained and experienced security consultant, shows you how to achieve the privacy you crave and deserve, whether you just want to shield yourself from casual scrutiny or take your life savings with you and disappearing without a trace. Whatever your needs, Luna reveals the shocking secrets that... |
 |
Invisible (Ivy Malone Mystery Series #1) by Lorena McCourtney (Author) She's not your average crime fighter! Ivy Malone has a curiosity that sometimes gets her into trouble, and it's only aggravated by her discovery that she can easily escape the public eye. So when vandals romp through the local cemetery, she takes advantage of her newfound anonymity and its unforeseen advantages as she launches her own unofficial investigation. Despite her oddball humor and unconventional snooping, Ivy soon becomes discouraged by her failure to turn up any solid clues. And after Ivy witnesses something ominous and unexplained, she can't resist putting her investigative powers to work again. Even the authorities' attempts to keep Ivy out of danger and her nosy neighbor's match-making schemes can't slow her down. But will the determination that fuels this... |
![The Invisible [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AHuxqi%2BIL._SL160_.jpg) |
The Invisible [Blu-ray] Starring: Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Marcia Gay Harden, Chris Marquette, Alex O'Loughlin Directed By: David S. Goyer Also With: Erin Stam (Producer), Gary Barber (Producer), Jonathan Glickman (Producer), Mike Macari (Producer), Christine Roum (Writer), Mats Wahl (Writer), Mick Davis (Writer) Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 10/16/2007 Run time: 98 minutes Rating: Pg13 |
 |
The Invisible by Mats Wahl (Author), Katarina Tucker (Translator) One ordinary Monday morning in May, Hilmer Eriksson walks into his high school classroom and discovers that he has become invisible. No one can see him, no one can hear him. In fact, a police detective named Harald Fors arrives at school that very morning to investigate Hilmer?s disappearance. The boy has no idea what?s going on, but he?s frightened, and he?s starting to forget things ? including what happened to him a few nights earlier. Detective Fors suspects foul play, and those suspicions lead him ? trailed by the ghostlike presence of Hilmer ? to a group of skinheads. These unpopular, disaffected kids are very vocal about their Nazi sympathies. But how does Hilmer?s life intersect with theirs? As Fors scours the village and interviews area residents for clues, he begins to piece... |
 |
InVisible (v. 1) by Tristan Crane (Author), Rhea Silvan (Illustrator) Seventeen year old Kay is not your average NYC high school student. From a young age, Kay has worked as a model in print, commercials, and on the runway. And now her career has recently undergone a dramatic upswing—she’s been booked for a runway show and several shoots in Japan. |
 |
Invisible Directed By: Konstantin Bojanov Also With: Hristo Bozajiev (Cinematographer), J.J. McGeehan (Composer), Masami Tomihisa (Composer), Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Composer), Konstantin Bojanov (Editor), Stela Georgieva (Editor), Boryana Alexandrova (Editor) The story of six Bulgarian youths as they experience extreme highs and turbulent lows, dreams and suicidal evils of heroin addiction. Invisible will throw you into the intimate veracity and shocking obsession influenced by the euphoria of heroin. This emotional and captivating film will guide you through the sobering reality that follows, without passing judgment, trivializing, denigrating, or exploiting the subjects involved. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |