# Is it possible to make someone invisible to the naked eye? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-make-someone-invisible-to-the-naked-eye/227667 "2004-02-05T14:29:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-make-someone-invisible-to-the-naked-eye/227667/41 "2004-06-15T16:53:41Z")
While in the Orient I learned how to cloud my mind so that I can’t see a thing! * * * _“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men, the Shad — OOPMPH!” damn, walked into the friggin’ coffee table again!"_ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-make-someone-invisible-to-the-naked-eye/227667/42 "2004-06-15T18:54:59Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve read this several times, and you’ve lost me on the first part – I’m familiar with the Hairy Ball problem, but I can’t see how it applies in this case. Al;l I have to do is direct the light around the object – ideally, it should come out in a “mirror image” direction, but as long as I just want the object in the middle not to be seen, I don’t really care too much about exactly where or how it comes out, as long as it doesn’t intersect my object. Oh, OK. I was misunderstanding what you were proposing. I thought you wanted every incident light ray to be directed around the central object, and then re-diverted back to its original course. If you just want the central object to not be seen, but don’t care what else is actually seen, then the problem’s easy. Just make your “crystal ball” opaque. ---
**Author:** ![HoldOnThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@HoldOnThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldOnThere)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-make-someone-invisible-to-the-naked-eye/227667/43 "2004-06-15T19:19:11Z")
I am always amazed, when I sit in my small Cessna airplane, how the propeller becomes almost invisible when the motor is running. The human eye has a fixed scan rate ( I think it something like 24 or 30 frames a second) and anything moving faster than that speed appears invisible. I know the propeller is there, but I amazed that I can see clearly through it. Practicality aside, perhaps if we could get people / things to vibrate at a fast enough speed, they would appear invisible, or at least in multiple places at once. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-make-someone-invisible-to-the-naked-eye/227667/44 "2004-06-16T00:08:56Z")
Story ideas!! 1. Vibration-government runs all experiments involving this, and is the sole owner of the method when developed. It uses this to make soldiers invisible, and thus march into other countries and take over. However, humans are actually killed by this process, and machines undergo it and go instead. The human soldiers are exiled to an extrasolar colony, as are the family if they inquire too strongly The story opens with a guy who has just left for his trip… 2. A contest between vibration and the multimillion dollar suit. Whoever is more effective gets a huge grant! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-make-someone-invisible-to-the-naked-eye/227667/45 "2004-06-16T02:36:26Z")
> [@](#): > > If you just want the central object to not be seen, but don’t care what else is actually seen, then the problem’s easy. Just make your “crystal ball” opaque. That’s no fun! ---
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-make-someone-invisible-to-the-naked-eye/227667/46 "2004-06-16T02:56:56Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Vibration-government runs all experiments involving this, and is the sole owner of the method when developed. It uses this to make soldiers invisible, and thus march into other countries and take over. However, humans are actually killed by this process, and machines undergo it and go instead. The human soldiers are exiled to an extrasolar colony, as are the family if they inquire too strongly The story opens with a guy who has just left for his trip… Don’t forget the Vatican, the Jesuits, the Zionists, the Freemasons and the Illuminati, working alongside the CIA of course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-make-someone-invisible-to-the-naked-eye/227667.md?page=2)