# Advance in Invisibility Cloaking **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 19, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969 "2010-03-19T02:09:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/1 "2010-03-19T02:09:39Z")
"Scientists have created the first device to render an object invisible in three dimensions. The “cloak”, described in the journal Science, hid an object from detection using light of wavelengths close to those that are visible to humans." > **[BBC News - Invisibility cloak created in 3-D](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8574923.stm)** > > Scientists create the first cloaking device to render an object invisible in three dimensions. Unfortunately, this means the wearer will still be vulnerable to attacks from time travelers–not to mention the astral plane. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/2 "2010-03-19T02:15:25Z")
As with any method of invisibility, it’d have one big flaw: If light passes through it, how does it hit your eyeballs? You’d be blinded on the inside. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/3 "2010-03-19T02:30:05Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > As with any method of invisibility, it’d have one big flaw: > > If light passes through it, how does it hit your eyeballs? You’d be blinded on the inside. It’s a flaw, but it doesn’t render it useless. You’d simply hide yourself and not be able to see while you’re hiding. A bit like, you know, _hiding_. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/4 "2010-03-19T02:34:45Z")
I dont consider an invisibility cloak valid unless you can use it to sneak up to an enemy and stab him in the neck. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/5 "2010-03-19T02:50:41Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > I dont consider an invisibility cloak valid unless you can use it to sneak up to an enemy and stab him in the neck. Agreed. Though I also want to be able to pass through a Sotheby’s auction and pocket some stuff. Especially the hors devours. > [@wierdaaron](#): > > As with any method of invisibility, it’d have one big flaw: > > If light passes through it, how does it hit your eyeballs? You’d be blinded on the inside. Hmm…how’s that reverse black hole technology working? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/6 "2010-03-19T02:55:22Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > As with any method of invisibility, it’d have one big flaw: > > If light passes through it, how does it hit your eyeballs? You’d be blinded on the inside. You don’t need to hide the whole thing. Even without resorting to machines, the human eye is a lot smaller than the human body, and it doesn’t need full sunlight to function. If you’re looking for a person, something the size of an eye, 10,000 times fainter than it should be isn’t going to catch your attention, is it? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/7 "2010-03-19T03:31:45Z")
Seems like the Predator cloak is pretty close to what I’d expect real world. He was invisible standing still. There was a slight shimmer when he moved. Any technology they develop would have a little lag time ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/8 "2010-03-19T04:08:44Z")
Besides allowing you to see, other requirements are being waterproof and narrow enough to fit through a standard women’s shower room door. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/9 "2010-03-19T06:52:48Z")
I want just a shirt and pants made out of this stuff, so I can be just a floating head, hands and shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/10 "2010-03-19T17:29:37Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > I want just a shirt and pants made out of this stuff, so I can be just a floating head, hands and shoes. Yeah, if we can do stuff like this, there is a lot of room for creativity and fun. You can walk around headless and freak people out (though I imagine being headless wouldn’t be legal for too long). Or you can make a hand invisible to start conversation about how you lost it in The Chainsaw Incident or whatever else you can think of. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/11 "2010-03-19T21:40:54Z")
It seems to me that setting up an SEP field would be cheaper, and nearly as effective.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advance-in-invisibility-cloaking/532969/12 "2010-03-19T22:49:21Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > I dont consider an invisibility cloak valid unless you can use it to sneak up to an enemy and stab him in the neck. Wouldn’t work. All the higher level bad guys keep a sack of flour handy to detect invisible assassins. That trick has been out there ever since the thieves’ guild scored a copy of the Dungeon Master’s Guide in 1983.