Longhorn Invisibility Cloak: Voyeurs Rejoice (With Video) (Not of Voyeurs Rejoicing)
The hard-working researchers at the University of Texas-Dallas say they've come up with a working prototype of the invisibility cloak made semi-famous in a series of cult books and movies about some kid with glasses.
Oh, the things you'll see
There's a whole lot of science lingo in the link above, but essentially it seems they've tweaked the phenomenon that produces road mirages wit heat waves.
Here's one attempt at an explanation:
The incredible display is achieved by using transparent sheets of carbon nanotubes one-molecule thick, dunked in water. When the temperature of the sheets is increased rapidly by an electrical current, the sheet transfers the heat to the water in its immediate vicinity, causing light rays to bend away from the object behind it, rendering it invisible.
If this can be mass-produced, the voyeur-video industry will be revolutionized. UT running backs could don the cape and actually have a shot at beating Oklahoma. (And yeah, we know UT-D is not technically the Longhorns, but surely they'd share. Or maybe the -- wait while we look it up -- Comets will become a new FBS power.)
If all this sounds too fantastic, check out the video:
Science: Is there nothing it can't do?
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