http://www.osnews.com/story/14518/Star_Trek-Like_Cloaking_Devices_Proposed_by_Physicists Exploring the Future of Computing en-us Copyright 2001-2009, David Adams adam+nospam@osnews.com Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:45:51 GMT http://www.osnews.com/images/osnews.gif http://www.osnews.com http://osnews.com/thread?120937 http://osnews.com/thread?120937 //superlenses placed very close to a small object //

so ... they could cloak very small objects ... that are hard to see anyway?

Whee.

Wake me when they can cloak an aircraft carrier. Thu, 04 May 2006 16:07:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (rockwell) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?120946 http://osnews.com/thread?120946 so ... they could cloak very small objects ... that are hard to see anyway?

By putting a huge lens in front of it no less. Sorry but I don't remember that from Star Trek. Thu, 04 May 2006 16:21:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Zoidberg) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?120956 http://osnews.com/thread?120956 What does this have to do with operating systems? Thu, 04 May 2006 16:41:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (ma_d) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?120958 http://osnews.com/thread?120958 This is some exciting news.Earlier this year a scientist predicted human time travel could be possible this century and now this. Thu, 04 May 2006 16:42:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Bajan) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?120970 http://osnews.com/thread?120970 Wannabeslashdotism Thu, 04 May 2006 16:58:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Ronald Vos) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?120972 http://osnews.com/thread?120972 Can I fire photon torpedoes with the cloak on? Thu, 04 May 2006 17:06:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (bbell) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?120974 http://osnews.com/thread?120974 What does this have to do with operating systems?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. Yet we publish it. Why? Read our about page and you'll know.

http://www.osnews.com/contact.php

Oh, and this is only the 28474674688374th time we said this.Edited 2006-05-04 17:09 Thu, 04 May 2006 17:07:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Thom_Holwerda) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?120987 http://osnews.com/thread?120987 This has nothing to do with computing... unless you are using a computer to calculate the waves...

So why is this on OS News again? Thu, 04 May 2006 17:20:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (tommybear) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?120988 http://osnews.com/thread?120988 Unless i am mistaken this is the 28474674688376th time you have said it! Get it right next time Thom!

Not sure this is really even computing related though but I will suck up and say it is anyway... Thu, 04 May 2006 17:21:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (JackSmack) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?120994 http://osnews.com/thread?120994 I don't watch Star Trek. Thu, 04 May 2006 17:30:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (peejay) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121011 http://osnews.com/thread?121011 Yeah, techies are not all trekkies! (The implication actually offends me ;-) ) Thu, 04 May 2006 18:03:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (lopisaur) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121042 http://osnews.com/thread?121042 Oh yes! That's how they always knew there was a cloaked romulan or klingon ship in the vicinity...

Captain, there is a gigantic lens off the port bow.

Go to red alert Mr. Spock, there must be a klingon ship nearby! Thu, 04 May 2006 19:03:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Tuishimi) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121043 http://osnews.com/thread?121043 Can I fire photon torpedoes with the cloak on?

Only if you're willing to risk detection by ionised gas. Thu, 04 May 2006 19:09:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (segedunum) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121046 http://osnews.com/thread?121046 No. The lens will be in the way! Thu, 04 May 2006 19:19:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Tuishimi) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121048 http://osnews.com/thread?121048 small by proportion. Thu, 04 May 2006 19:19:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (modmans2ndcoming) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121049 http://osnews.com/thread?121049 We do not have the tech yet, but it is physically possible to generate lensing effects using a generated force (look at eh lensing effect of gravity) Thu, 04 May 2006 19:21:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (modmans2ndcoming) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121050 http://osnews.com/thread?121050 umm... the photon torpedos did not create an ionizing gas, it was their impulse engine exhaust. Thu, 04 May 2006 19:23:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (modmans2ndcoming) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121051 http://osnews.com/thread?121051 ok, so use another series... like Stargate SG-1 Thu, 04 May 2006 19:25:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (modmans2ndcoming) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121054 http://osnews.com/thread?121054 And who will cloak the giant superlense?

As for stargate, I think you mean Stargate Atlantis. SG-1 doesn't have cloaks.Edited 2006-05-04 19:37 Thu, 04 May 2006 19:34:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (vasper) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121059 http://osnews.com/thread?121059 Geek-lite? Thu, 04 May 2006 19:43:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Tuishimi) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121060 http://osnews.com/thread?121060 Ouch! Score 1 for the ST fan. Thu, 04 May 2006 19:45:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Tuishimi) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121061 http://osnews.com/thread?121061 um, not all techies enjoy series in general...

:), I did enjoy 2001: A Space Odyssey though Thu, 04 May 2006 19:46:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Wintermute) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121080 http://osnews.com/thread?121080 It's only possible with gravity though. So practical usage is still likely impossible, as any object that is meant to be cloaked needs to withstand this gravity as well, because it has to be placed close to the lense. Besides, shouldn't the lense effect be obvious if there's something behind the hidden object (e.g. a landscape)? Thu, 04 May 2006 20:30:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (xJulian) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121088 http://osnews.com/thread?121088 So why is this on OS News again?

Because we as the staff want it to. Contrary to what you seem to think, you do not own OSNews. David Adams does, and he made me responsible for the news. In other words, it is my say what gets up here, and if it's up here, it belongs here. I decide what is worthy of OSNews, not you. Period, end of discussion. Thu, 04 May 2006 20:42:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Thom_Holwerda) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121101 http://osnews.com/thread?121101 What does this have to do with operating systems?

Because now that it's been officially discovered, Gentoo will likely have an eBuild for this any day now. Thu, 04 May 2006 21:12:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (elsewhere) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121145 http://osnews.com/thread?121145 Raction from anti-matter/matter produces ionizing particles e.g. high frequency photon particles. Thu, 04 May 2006 22:37:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (encia) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121148 http://osnews.com/thread?121148 Actual invisibility isn't being done by this because it only blocks a narrow spectrum - at least for now. And remember that this is all still in the theoretical stages. However, the naked eye would likely be able to see certain colors even while others were blocked.

The applications this is meant for are more along the lines of cloaking electronic signals, like letting electronic equipment operate near an MRI machine, or cloaking something from reflecting a radar signature. Thu, 04 May 2006 23:06:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (smitty) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121151 http://osnews.com/thread?121151 Nothing at all. Yet we publish it. Why? Read our about page and you'll know.

"Our goal is to inform our readers with the latest news on a vast range of operating systems and computing environments, from the well-known mainstream OSes, down to small (but also very interesting technically) hobby or embedded ones. True to our tagline, "Exploring the Future of Computing," we're always on the lookout for the next major advance in computing technology, and eager to speculate on how it might change the way people use computing power in their daily lives. With this in mind, it's important to stress that though our focus is operating systems, there will always be other computing-related news that catches our attention."


Okay, read it. Not a thing in there about why an article about Cloaking Devices would be posted here. Maybe you could enlighten us further, Thom.

In other words, it is my say what gets up here, and if it's up here, it belongs here. I decide what is worthy of OSNews, not you. Period, end of discussion.

And maybe without the attitude even. Thu, 04 May 2006 23:39:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (vitae) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121174 http://osnews.com/thread?121174 Graeme Milton is a mathematician, not a physicist. Fri, 05 May 2006 03:35:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (chuck) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121182 http://osnews.com/thread?121182 Because we as the staff want it to.
That's fine, I never said you weren't entitled to posting any news you wanted on this site.

Contrary to what you seem to think, you do not own OSNews.
Don't you tell me what I'm thinking Mr.

David Adams does, and he made me responsible for the news.
Yes and responsible for what you post too.

In other words, it is my say what gets up here, and if it's up here, it belongs here.
This might be true in your opinion, but may not apply to your readers.

I decide what is worthy of OSNews, not you. Period, end of discussion.
Not quite. You don't decide what is worthy for me. You might not think you owe your readers something, but they do add wealth to your site and look at your ads. So I think what you owe me, at a minimum, is some courtesy, because you did offend me and were rude. Your page with the statement about site content does NOT mention scientific news as possible content. If I want that, I'll go to slashdot. I fail to understand how your readers criticising your content gives you license to be rude to them. Now the discussion is over. Fri, 05 May 2006 04:12:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (tommybear) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121183 http://osnews.com/thread?121183 Using a principle called "anomalous localized resonance," superlenses placed very close to a small object could mask its reflected light waves by resonating at the same frequency, much like how noise-canceling headphones mask sound waves by creating a sound that is at the same frequency but inverted in phase.

Have you guys ever tried a pair of noise canceling headphones that actually cancelled noise? I haven't. Fri, 05 May 2006 04:17:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (WorknMan) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121190 http://osnews.com/thread?121190 Contrary to what you seem to think, you do not own OSNews. David Adams does, and he made me responsible for the news. In other words, it is my say what gets up here, and if it's up here, it belongs here. I decide what is worthy of OSNews, not you. Period, end of discussion.

Are you always this arrogant and rude? With that logic you could justify putting up news about fall fashions. Perhaps David Adams should reconsider his decision; if I owned the site I certainly wouldn't want someone with that attitude in charge of anything. It just seems to me a site called OS news should be about, well, OS news.Edited 2006-05-05 05:01 Fri, 05 May 2006 04:59:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Zoidberg) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121210 http://osnews.com/thread?121210 only when he is replying to the same question for the X+1th time... Fri, 05 May 2006 07:52:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (hobgoblin) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121211 http://osnews.com/thread?121211 only when he is replying to the same question for the X+1th time...

Thank you . Fri, 05 May 2006 07:54:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Thom_Holwerda) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121223 http://osnews.com/thread?121223 not a problem.

alltho i think the formula would have been more correct if it was X = X + 1 inside a loop Fri, 05 May 2006 09:50:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (hobgoblin) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121237 http://osnews.com/thread?121237 Well, these superlenses as you can read can be used in future DVD/CD/whatever-format reaaders/writers for example.

As said in article, everything that has to do with light and/or lenses will benefit from these lenses.


So go another place and gag, please. Fri, 05 May 2006 11:03:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (riha) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121257 http://osnews.com/thread?121257 Imagine cloaking your computer. Hmm, upgrading a cloaked computer would be a challenge.

Oh, a cloaked bag, this would allow you to sneak out with laptops...well until you hit the shop lifting detectors, but you could claim you didn't take anything, since they can't see it. Fri, 05 May 2006 12:01:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (ArcadeFX) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121325 http://osnews.com/thread?121325 superlenses placed very close to a small object could mask its reflected light waves by resonating at the same frequency

Wouldn't that make the object look black?

For "cloaking" you'd need to cancel light reflected from the front while transmitting any light that lands on the other side of the object (for any angle it could be viewed at, without distortion and with a minimum delay between back reception and front transmition).

The easiest way to do this would be to bend the light waves around the object rather than masking any of light waves. For the simplest case (a fixed view angle), this can be done with 4 standard/boring mirrors. Fri, 05 May 2006 14:51:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Brendan) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121416 http://osnews.com/thread?121416 >> Wouldn't that make the object look black?

No, because the lenses would bend the light around the object, so in its place there will be a small distortion, that will make the object invisible as the backgound pattern will repeat over it. You could however be able to see the distortion if the pattern is smaller than the item masked. Fri, 05 May 2006 19:28:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (vasper) Comments http://osnews.com/thread?121567 http://osnews.com/thread?121567 Phase cancellation can only be accomplished at a single frequency and there can be no variations in transmission through lenses( ie, phase shift distortion, aberration, and impurities). Not a good prospect for "cloaking" anything! Sat, 06 May 2006 02:50:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (lilsirecho) Comments