NationStates Jolt Archive

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6064620.stm

Sorta. Bending light around an object on a small scale is certainly a step in the right directly. Won't be long til we have nigh invisible mines!

And pervy geeks in womens dressing rooms!

Trilby63;11831248']And pervy geeks in womens dressing rooms!

It works by bending light around the cloaked object (in theory), therefore any object hidden has no light from the outside reaching it. You couldn't see anything.

It works by bending light around the cloaked object (in theory), therefore any object hidden has no light from the outside reaching it. You couldn't see anything.

What use is that!?

Hiding objects that don't rely on electromagnetic stimulus to work. It could also be used to hide say a building and it's occupants, or it could be used to hide say a tank with only a very small camera outside the cloak. Granted the tank would only see what was directly infront of it's camera, but it'd be practically invisible.

Star Trek style cloaks are fairly impossible given our current understanding of physics.

And in the grand American-style tradition, the company will be sued by Romulans.

:gundge:

What use is that!?

Well, you have no light reaching it, but that doesn't stop other means of input. Perhaps there could be external cameras with radio feeds sent to a screen inside the cloaking capsule or something.

It should also be noted that since light doesn't reach the target laser weapons wouldn't work. Effectively "shielding" the object cloaked. In the case of the test the copper target was hit by only a fraction of the actual microwaves.

And in the grand American-style tradition, the company will be sued by Romulans.

Bah, then Kirk will countersue them claiming that as characters in a fictional tv series, they have no right to sue a real company. Then he'll blow up their ship to make his point.

Yea, a cloaked mine is the only tangable use I can think of at the moment.
I'm glad the report comes from Duke University rather than Iran. :eek:

Star Trek style cloaks are fairly impossible given our current understanding of physics.

Well that will obviously change by the 24th century...

Well that will obviously change by the 24th century...

By the 24th century I should dearly hope we're more advanced than Star Trek.

It only works with microwave-length radiation at the moment. At least the traffic cops will have a very hard time.

By the 24th century I should dearly hope we're more advanced than Star Trek.

We'll have to be, if we are to survive... 'cause there's no way we're colonizing space.

We'll have to be, if we are to survive... 'cause there's no way we're colonizing space.

I'm thinking more post human computer tech. Why be bound to mortal sacks of flesh?

It should also be noted that since light doesn't reach the target laser weapons wouldn't work. Effectively "shielding" the object cloaked. In the case of the test the copper target was hit by only a fraction of the actual microwaves.

Except A: lasers are a bit more intense than regular light, and B: they'd damage the structures that deflect the light.

I'm thinking more post human computer tech. Why be bound to mortal sacks of flesh?

I'm going to order a Dalek body and open a plague control business (being immune to pesticides and all that), then I'll go around screaming "exterminate! exterminate!"

I'll go whaler-hunting.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/GermanNightmare/bop-whaler.jpg

Who's with me? :p:D

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061019/ap_on_sc/cloak_of_invisibility;_ylt=Akkfiurz6GHfl8P6zdBj_frMWM0F;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MzV0MTdmBHNlYwM3NTM-


I find this rather interesting. It may be rudimentary, but still, having the ability to cloak something and thus make it invisible would be a valuable tool to have, especially when it eventually becomes easier to make, and can be used for humans. And by that I mean being used by the military.

How Star Trek changed the world, indeed...

How Star Trek changed the world, indeed...

Quite. That was actually a rather interesting Documentary....

Quite. That was actually a rather interesting Documentary....

When I saw the commercials, I honestly thought that it was going to be a docu-comedy. But when I saw the documentary itself, I was shocked.

Star Trek actually has changed the world, and not in ways that wouldn't really make a difference. Technology has actually improved because of it, and the world literally owes a debt to Gene Roddenberry.

I really don't appreciate that the Mods moved my thread. I really do not.

I really don't appreciate that the Mods moved my thread. I really do not.

There was already a thread about it before you made yours. We both didn't see it, but that's just how things are.

Saves bandwidth, and the forum looks nicer.

"Invisibility is theoretically possible, Captain-- selectively bending light. But the power cost is enormous. They may have solved that."

Actually I've read about this cloak. It only works on one wavelength though so I'm not getting my hopes up.

And even if you did somehow figure out a way to mask all light you'd have to worry about the waste heat emitted out the exhaust system. Someone might figure out how to fix that in the future too but for now...

When I saw the commercials, I honestly thought that it was going to be a docu-comedy. But when I saw the documentary itself, I was shocked.

Star Trek actually has changed the world, and not in ways that wouldn't really make a difference. Technology has actually improved because of it, and the world literally owes a debt to Gene Roddenberry.

...say what? What documentary is this? Why have I not heard anything about it?

...say what? What documentary is this? Why have I not heard anything about it?

It was on the History Channel a few months ago. Look it up: How Star Trek Changed The World.

It was on the History Channel a few months ago. Look it up: How Star Trek Changed The World.

Ah, alrighty then. Talk about something right down my ally...

It only works with microwave-length radiation at the moment. At least the traffic cops will have a very hard time.

Exactly. Who knows how many years before this technology will be adapted to the visible light spectrum...probably for the best really. Talk about a technology that is sure to be abused.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4968338.stm

The UK thinks it's possible

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.cloak20oct20,0,3119505.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

The US demonstrates it

Taking a page from movies and comic books, researchers at Duke University have developed what they call an "invisibility cloak," a primitive device that hides objects by bending electromagnetic waves so that they flow around the object like water around a rock.

Advertisement
Because none of the waves is reflected back at the observer, the object becomes invisible.

Their device, reported today in the online version of the journal Science, works only with microwave radiation and only in two dimensions. And it does not yet provide complete invisibility, producing a small shadow that can be detected.

But it represents a proof of principle for a theory first published only five months ago.

"It's a very good achievement," physicist Ulf Leonhardt of the University of St. Andrews in Britain told Science. "It's surprising that it's as simple as it is and that it works so well."

Better than stealth, since the current demonstration cloaks against microwaves.

It's only a matter of time before Western nations are driving around in flying saucers, using death rays, and remaining invisible while doing so.

I have this odd feeling that a lot of defense scientists have watched too much Star Trek.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4968338.stm

The UK thinks it's possible

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.cloak20oct20,0,3119505.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

The US demonstrates it



Better than stealth, since the current demonstration cloaks against microwaves.

It's only a matter of time before Western nations are driving around in flying saucers, using death rays, and remaining invisible while doing so.

I have this odd feeling that a lot of defense scientists have watched too much Star Trek.


Hate to say it, DK, but this has already been posted about a day ago. Cooler now, on deeper thoughts of the ramifications, but still technically "old news". :p

i;11834219I have this odd feeling that a lot of defense scientists have watched too much Star Trek.


Hmm..

Maybe they havent watched enough.

Two words:

Death Star.

the good thing about star trek is that it was influenced by physicists, so itsna sci-fi about what could be posible other than random imagination, like star wars.
i personally prefere sci-fi's that are semi-realistic.

Hate to say it, DK, but this has already been posted about a day ago. Cooler now, on deeper thoughts of the ramifications, but still technically "old news". :p

people offen post about the same topic over again. its not very posible to have all the time to keep watching the threads in order not to repeat topics.
besides, people like kepp talking about interesting subjects. i think this is a very interesting subject.

the good thing about star trek is that it was influenced by physicists, so itsna sci-fi about what could be posible other than random imagination, like star wars.
i personally prefere sci-fi's that are semi-realistic.

I think Star Trek is considerably less than semi realistic. See the magic deflector dish(aka the deus ex machina machine)

the good thing about star trek is that it was influenced by physicists, so itsna sci-fi about what could be posible other than random imagination, like star wars.
i personally prefere sci-fi's that are semi-realistic.

Theres very little science mentioned in ST, that isnt mentioned in SW.
Cloaking devices, interjection fields, androids, cyborgs, you name it.
Its all there.

Keep in mind the fiction part though.

I think Star Trek is considerably less than semi realistic. See the magic deflector dish(aka the deus ex machina machine)

i was just saying that they put alot of thought into it.

when i'm finished reading the book i'm reading at the moment, i'm going to have to read anything i can on this subject. it looks cool.