# Invisibility cloak.  (inside, a concept that actually might work)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisibility-cloak-inside-a-concept-that-actually-might-work/203457>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 24, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisibility-cloak-inside-a-concept-that-actually-might-work/203457 "2003-09-24T02:35:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![ForgottenLore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@ForgottenLore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForgottenLore)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisibility-cloak-inside-a-concept-that-actually-might-work/203457/21 "2003-09-24T21:27:24Z")

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I’ve thought about the concept of a practical invisibility suit quite a bit (my wife would roll her eyes at that statement) and here’s my best low-tech/high-tech effort. I’m sure a lot of other people have come up with pretty much this same idea and discarded it. I was too lazy to actually do research.

The suit is made up of two nested spheres. The inner sphere is large enough for a person to stand up in. The outer one is completely covered with the exposed ends of optic cable strands in the highest density possible. Each strand of cable begins at a point on the surface of the sphere and ends at the point directly opposite. The cabling runs through the space between the spheres. Light entering a cable strand on one side of the sphere is visible from the other side, as if it had traveled in a straight line.

Obvious caveats:

1. The person inside can’t see where they’re going.
2. The resolution is crappy. It won’t stand up to close scrutiny.
3. Light rays from a bright nearby source that strike the end of a strand obliquely would appear to suddenly change direction, making for all kinds of unfortunate distortions.

Oh well, back to the drawing board. No, wait. I haven’t even got to the drawing board yet.

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**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisibility-cloak-inside-a-concept-that-actually-might-work/203457/22 "2003-09-25T00:45:04Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \*  
> \*\*The Japanese cloak is an impressive achievement, but it won’t give you invisibility. \*\*

I must be not understanding the article, because it seemed that it was saying it was the viewfinder, not the jacket, that was doing the trick:

> [@](#):
>
> The photograph was taken through a viewfinder that uses a combination of moving images taken behind the wearer to give a transparent effect.

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