Woo Hoo. Sci-Fi fans rejoice, as a new piece of futuristic technology has just become a reality!
Engage The Cloak
According to a report on the BBC Technology site this morning, researchers at the University of Texas have successfully “cloaked” an object.
Using plasmonic materials, an 18cm cylinder has been rendered invisible. Sadly, it’s not quite as exciting as sounds, as it’s only invisible to light at the microwave end of the spectrum. According to the report, the technique and materials used are unlikely to work for the visible part of the spectrum, so all of those cunning uses that FrequencyCast listeners might conjure up for a cloak of invisibility… will have to wait. More details on this breakthrough at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16726609
Although we’re not there yet, it’s still, it’s good to know that some early steps are being made – at this rate, we might be able to have cloaking technology ahead of the Klingons, and that can only be a good thing.
We’re still waiting for those tech boffins to create the SEP Field – If you don’t know your Douglas Adams, the Someone Else’s Problem Field allows something to appear to be invisible because it’s too implausible to be there… “the brain just edits it out, like it’s a blind spot”
Apologies for this odd clipart – you try finding a picture of a cloaked object!!
Star Trek Tricorder
In other sci-fi related “coming soon” news… There’s a competition running to be the first to build a Star Trek Tricorder… If you can build a handy gadget that can diagnose 15 diseases, then you could net yourself £6.5 million in the X Price competition that was recently announced at CES (the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. Qualcomm’s stumping up the $10 million prize, and you can check out the terms and conditions here:Star Trek Tricorder X Price
What gadget from the Star Trek Universe, or the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy would you like to like to see become a reality? Add a comment below, and we’ll share your thoughts with the FrequencyCast audience.