Cloaking devices.... yes we are there (used for *evil* mind you not military applications)

[underpants]

Can this magnetic invisibility cloak hide weapons?
Spanish researchers say yes, but there are other experts who doubt it would work


Some day, people with implants — and guns — might be able to pass through this kind of security by using magnetic invisibility.


A team of Spanish researchers say they can build a magnetic cloaking device that would help pacemaker patients pass through MRI machines without harm — but it could also be used by criminals to smuggle bombs or guns through metal detectors.

Physicists from the Universidat Autonoma de Barcelona published their work today in the New Journal of Physics.

"This is theoretical, but we have tried to get some recipes on how this could be made with available materials," said Alvar Sanchez, the study's lead author. "Imagine a shell with some kind of metallic layers. This shell in the shape of a cylinder could surround a magnet and make it disappear."

This so-called "anti-magnet" consists of several layers. First would be a layer of superconducting material to stop the magnetic field of an object from leaking outside. That would be covered by outer layers of "metamaterials" which would correct distortions from an outside magnetic field, and thereby make the object appear invisible.

[TheWraith]

1. Interesting theoretical discussion, but not very practical.

That shell of superconducting material would be the biggest problem. Unless they've invented a room temperature superconductor, you'd need at LEAST a small tank of liquid nitrogen to keep that material at superconductor temperatures. And the thing inside would get horribly cold too. Not to mention magnetism bending metamaterials would be awfully expensive.

For the money you'd spend getting a handgun past security, you could probably buy your own airliner.

[Fire Walk With Me]

2. Pants are a cloaking device for underpants.

[underpants]

3. Not if they are worn on the outside

but I really don't want to go into my early 20's period

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. I did not think of that.