Electromagnetic invisibility a precursor to the real thing?

This could either be that one giant leap, or just another in a long sequence of multidirectional small steps on the Quixotic quest for undetectability. So-called dc metamaterials are the chief culprit for inciting our interest anew, as researchers from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona have found a way to use them to render metallic objects invisible to low frequency electromagnetic waves. Composed of irregular networks of superconductors, the metamaterials are capable of granting superpowers altering the magnetic field of materials, and in theory, this advance could aid magnetic imaging in medical settings and also help cloak military vessels from magnetic detection. Of course, there's still the whole "oh, now we need a working prototype" conundrum, but hey, at least we've got the gears turning in the right direction.

[Via PhysOrg]

[n2neee Posted Jul 20th 2009 11:54AM]

gears...turning.....what? Aliens. im ready ;]

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:00PM]

As if we needed people bringing weapons on the planes to make them crash.

[paul34 Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:11PM]

Yes... because a kitchen knife is capable of bringing down a jet liner...

are you stupid?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:16PM]

Yes sir!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:34PM]

he's not stupid... box cutters took down several jet liners.

[TangoEchoXray Posted Jul 21st 2009 9:24AM]

Box cutters don't take down airliners, people take down airliners.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:01PM]

Sweet now I can sneak that stapler through airport security!

[derX Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:02PM]

Dreaming big. I applaud thee.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:07PM]

Is that a stapler in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 21st 2009 8:11AM]

At last I can now stop Magneto

[aardWolf Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:07PM]

I totally wrote up volumes of paper on how to make those objects invisible, but now I can't find them...

[Wwhat Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:07PM]

I do NOT want this to succeed, it took me only fragments of a second to realise that in many ways.
And no I'm not thinking of terrorism, quite the opposite.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 3:03PM]

Can you elaborate on these scenarios you're thinking of?

[mrotier Posted Jul 20th 2009 1:53PM]

opposite of terrorism?

....

....

hippies?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 21st 2009 6:30AM]

Wwhat, wwhy do you hate Ffreedom?

[Wwhat Posted Jul 21st 2009 6:52PM]

The jokingly called opposite would be the spooks and the pentagon and their assassinations andsoforth.
If there's one group you don't want to have invisibility is the US government and their 'contractors' (think blackwater and secret prisons) and such, and if there's one group that would get their hands on it it would be them unfortunately.
So sadly I have to say that the world can't handle it.
Incidentally you can see if there's success if suddenly the news about it stops and many of the researchers working on it all 'get depressed' and go to the woods and 'stab themselves multiple times' or go missing.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 8:21PM]

Would this cloak weapons from being non detectable as well?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 9:13PM]

Yes it would. It would make anything undetectable. If you would like to see the device I linked to just above in action simply search for
"Thats Impossible S01E01 Invisibility Cloaks" the show is downloadable for pay, and in this day and age I bet you could find a pirated copy somewhere. The episode can be purchased on itunes. the link is below I
V

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTVSeason?i=323128893&id=322302156&s=143441

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:14PM]

What's with the title of this post...light is electromagnetic radiation, when the title implies it's not.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:49PM]

Exactly what I thought. Visible light is just a particular bandwidth of the electromagnetic spectrum, just like radio waves, "x-ray", ultra-violet, etc... The teeny-tiny wavelength of visible light (380-750 nanometers from crest to crest) is what makes it so difficult to manipulate for current technology.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:15PM]

We finally figured out a way to defeat Magneto!

[Khav Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:51PM]

By throwing a wrench at him?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 4:09PM]

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!

[magallanes Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:39PM]

So, apparently the Philadelphia Experiment was indeed true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Experiment

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 12:45PM]

With this being our only defense against the robots; is it in humanities best interest having this article publicized?

[crwoo Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:20PM]

Thats mine boy

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:32PM]

Materials are the future

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 2:45PM]

*looks up at the sky* Is that a plane? Why yes, I do think that is a plane.

[barakus Posted Jul 20th 2009 5:00PM]

silly jimmy, thats not a plane, Its a giant wrench falling down!

[Samurai Jack Posted Jul 20th 2009 6:10PM]

I have this... friend... who claims to be a hyperintelligent, pan-dimensional being. He assures me that not only do such technologies already exist, they're actively in use. And that even now the human race is being watched...

[Eternal Density Posted Jul 20th 2009 7:22PM]

DC metamaterials sound Marvel-ous.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 7:27PM]

Here's the prototype Engadget http://science.howstuffworks.com/cloaking-device.htm/printable