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And I Thought The Flash Invented This...

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Video: Invisibility cloak uses mirage-like shimmering to conceal

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We write a lot about invisibility cloaks 'round these parts. Ever wanted to see one in action? Well, here's your chance, courtesy the researchers over at the University of Dallas in Texas.

In trying to wrap your head around how this works, think about a mirage. The sheet you see up there is made up of molecule-thick carbon nanotubes, which heat up quick and a bunch of them can transfer said heat across a surface fast. That's important, because heat is a key component in creating a mirage, or more specifically a photothermal deflection, which is what you're seeing here.

A good ol' fashioned mirage like you see out in the desert is actually an optical trick that can be captured on film. It's all about temperature differential: light is turning as it passes over a desert surface, and through denser, colder air into warm air. That phantom water you see is actually a reflection of the sky through the bending light, and your mind trying to make sense of what's really there. If there was something really there, like, say, a shrub, youwouldn't see it. Here's a handy illustration of the concept via HowStuffWorks:

The team at the University of Dallas is using this very same trick to make the sheet in the video below seemingly disappear. It is remarkable to see this cloaking device demonstrated in real life and on a workable scale," a spokesperson for the Institute of Physics told Wired. "The array of applications that could arise from this device, besides cloaking, is a testament to the excellent work of the authors."

You can read a full brief of their work right here.

IOPscience, via Wired

Mirage image via HowStuffWorks

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Things I'd Like To Make/Invent: A Collapsble Bow For Archery...

Well, I have three bows.  When you carry them, especially in a case... it adds up.  So, why not invent a bow with a push pin in the grip that lets the handle function like a hinged fork where the top half of the bow insert between the bottom fork at the grip.  A push pin releases.  Advantage? When it collapses it's about the length of a quiver or an arrow.  Make sure you de-string it first.

 

Things I'd Like To Be Able To Make: The Cell Phone Watch

With the world moving to larger smart phones and iPads, perhaps the time has come for the cell phone to once again become relegated to an accesory rather than a component to tote.  Currently, I have a necklace made of a leather cord and a clip upon which I carry my bluetooth headset when not in use.  I hate looking like a cybernetic organism (Cyborg) wearing it all day.  Imagine if the following were available...

 

Then you would have one less thing to carryy in your cargo pants.