The “invisible” man has existed in popular culture from times immemorial. Now, scientists have almost brought that invisibility to our closets.
Using an ultra-thin material, scientists were able to hide objects from microwaves, which earlier could only be done with very bulky contraptions. The new cloak is just a few micrometers thick and can high 3D objects in their natural environment. You would not be able to see the object from any angle or position. Researchers of the project at the University of Texas called the material ‘metascreen’. At the moment, the objects can be hidden only from microwaves but I wouldn’t be surprised if they develop a way to hide ourselves from visible light spectrum.
It would be an amazing feat of technology if such a thing ever happens, however, I personally do not fancy invisible cloaks as they may break trust, increase crime and result in unwanted and undesirable consequences.
Of course, it shall have its useful applications and that is probably why this research is so interesting. The Daily Mail published an article that explains the physics behind this amazing discovery. If you are interested in learning more about this new project which could eventually help us all become invisible, I suggest you go ahead and read that bit.
When the object is cloaked, the position of the microwaves (in red and blue) is almost identical to when there is no object present
