Cloak of Invisibility, here we come?

Craft & Design Science

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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December 23rd, 2009

From PhysOrg.com:

A team of researchers at the FOM institute AMOLF (The Netherlands) has succeeded for the first time in powering an energy transfer between nano-electromagnets with the magnetic field of light.

This breakthrough is of major importance in the quest for magnetic ‘meta-materials’ with which light rays can be deflected in every possible direction. This could make it possible to produce perfect lenses, and in the fullness of time, even ‘invisibility cloaks.’

[Thanks, Alberto!]

Above picture is of invisibility artist Liu Bolin (which has nothing to do directly with this story, as his method of invisibility is far more low-tech).

Tiny nano-electromagnets turn a cloak of invisibility into a possibility