Chinese invisibility cloak: how a fake video tried to overtake time. The invisibility cloak is fantasy or reality: heated debate about the new invention of the Chinese Research work invisible man fiction
For centuries, invisibility has been the third dream of mankind after flying and the ability to see what is far away. Today, for the first there are planes, and for the second - television and the Internet. What technologies will allow us to learn how to disappear of our own accord in the future? The squid skin, the missing skyscraper and the deceiver material - T&P have studied the developments of modern scientists to answer this question.
First of all, the bad news: it is not yet possible to make a living body invisible with the help of an elixir. The English writer and publicist Herbert Wells, in his novel The Invisible Man, written in 1897, explained: “Bodies either absorb light, or reflect, or refract it, or both. If a body does not reflect, refract, or absorb light, then it cannot be seen by itself. If you put a piece of ordinary glass in water, or, even better, in some liquid denser than water, then you will hardly see glass at all, because light, passing from water to glass, is refracted and reflected very weakly, and almost no effect at all. In other words, to make a body invisible, you need to reduce the refractive index of its tissues (skin, muscles, internal organs and bones) to the refractive index of air. Neither physics nor physiology today allow us to do this: invisible eyes will not be able to capture light, and in order to change the optical properties of tissues, it is necessary to reshape the metabolism in such a way that it becomes not clear how to live with it. The idea of an invisibility cap also looks dubious: it should temporarily change the optical properties of not only living tissues, but also clothes and shoes, objects made from completely different materials, often mixed and synthetic.
How is the invisibility cloak
An invisibility cloak works very differently from a cap or an elixir: without changing the properties of the item, it can direct the rays of light around and make an outside observer see only what is behind. Today, substances with such properties already exist: these are metamaterials with a negative angle of refraction, which makes light rays bend around an object and makes it invisible to the eye.
The pioneer in the field of creating such metamaterials was the physicist at Imperial College London, Sir John Pendry. In the mid-1990s, he suggested that the desired refraction angle could be achieved not so much due to the chemical composition of the molecules, but due to their arrangement. The scientist proceeded from the well-known fact: at the boundary of media, waves can be reflected or refracted, and inside the medium they can be absorbed or pass through it. He suggested using materials that include a metal (a conductor of electricity) and a dielectric. However, when it came to experiments in 2006, it turned out that Pendry's metamaterials make objects invisible only in the infrared range. Then the professors of the University of Michigan Elena Semushkina and Xiang Zhang proposed to abandon the metal and use only dielectrics: for example, uniaxial crystals, which are characterized by birefringence in all directions of incident light, except for one.
To make an invisibility cloak, physicists from Birmingham began to investigate such crystals. Soon they succeeded in creating a material with uniaxial silicon nitride crystals on a transparent nanoporous silicon oxide substrate. When all the crystals were on the substrate, nanometer diameter holes were made in them. The result is a smooth optical mirror that can hide objects in the visible range. It is this technology that may have been used by the Canadian creators of the military "disappearing raincoats", who still keep the composition of their material a secret.
Quantum Stealth: The Trickster Material
Canadian company Hyperstealth specializes in camouflage and produces Quantum Stealth fabric. This soft material wraps light around an object, making it invisible to eyes, night vision and thermal cameras, and hiding shadows. The material works without cameras, batteries, lamps and mirrors, it weighs little and, according to the developers, is inexpensive. However, it is not yet possible to buy it, because initially this fabric was intended for the Canadian, American and British army. The military and first responders began testing the Quantum Stealth in 2012. In April 2014, Hyperstealth announced the launch of a commercial variant of their invisibility cloak: the Hyperstealth INVISIB. Its properties will not be as amazing as those of the army counterpart, but disappearances can still be achieved. Now the company is arranging intellectual property rights for the mass version of the development. It will probably hit the market next year.
Carbon nanotubes: the mirage effect
Scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a technology that uses carbon nanotubes to "erase" objects. It is based on the mirage effect, or photothermal refraction. To make an object "disappear", experts use cylindrical carbon molecules with high thermal conductivity. By turning the current on and off, the scientists heat and cool the material, forcing the object behind it to appear and disappear. The main problem of the Texas invention, however, is that for it to work, the hidden object must necessarily be in a container of water.
Disappearing skyscraper: reversed eyes
American architectural firm GDS is building the invisible Infinity skyscraper in Seoul. This building will reach a height of 450 m. For construction, its creators use concrete and glass, and they plan to achieve invisibility through the use of optical video cameras and displays on the facade. The cameras will capture what is behind the skyscraper and broadcast the image on its walls. This will give the impression that you are looking through the building, or not at all. In order for the displays to more accurately reflect the landscape, the Infinity will have three vertical sections, each with six sides. True, in the corners, at the junction of the displays, the skyscraper will still look noticeable. Until we invent soft displays of sufficient strength, this problem will not be eliminated.
Reflectin protein: squid skin
The ability of cuttlefish, squid and octopuses to become invisible in the water allowed scientists from the University of California and Duke University to create an "invisibility cloak" for the Marines. They used a protein called reflectin, which can adjust to different wavelengths of light. Experts found it in the skin tissues of the longfin squid (Loligo pealeii), which was studied by order of the US Naval Research Service. They found that in its tissues, layers of cells with a high and low refractive index alternate. By reducing and increasing the distance between the layers, the squid "reflects" light of different ranges and changes color. To reproduce this ability, the scientists isolated reflectin from cells with a high refractive index and placed a layer of this protein on a graphene oxide and silicone dioxide film. By alternately treating the material with water vapor and an acid solution, they were able to cause the protein layer to expand and fall off, changing color. Experts say that their development will be the "first decisive step" towards the creation of a vanishing cloak. Such arrogance is understandable: after all, if by repeating after the birds we learned to fly, why shouldn't we learn to be invisible by repeating after the squid?
Introduction
I love reading fairy tales, especially fairy tales. After all, miracles happen in them, there are magical objects: walking boots, a tablecloth - a self-assembly, a pot that cooked porridge, a carpet - an airplane, an invisible hat. Reading fairy tales, I thought: after all, miracles from fairy tales have become a reality. A person wanted to quickly set the table, went to the supermarket - 5 minutes and the table was set. You need to quickly cook porridge, put the cereal in a slow cooker - the porridge is ready without much effort and will not burn. If you want fresh bread for breakfast, put the food in the bread machine, turn on the timer, and a miracle - the oven will bake bread by a certain time. But are there invisible people in our lives?
Research motive:the desire to learn about invisible objects.
Hypothesis: I assume that the study of the topic "Invisibles" will help answer the question: "Invisibles - is it a reality or a fabulous fiction?"
The purpose of my work - study of the question "Invisibles - is it a reality or a fabulous fiction?"
I have put the following tasks :
- Find and study information on a given topic.
- Learn the meaning of the word "invisible".
- Define conditions under which an object becomes invisible.
- Find the answer to the question "Invisibles - is it a reality or a fabulous fiction?"
- Conduct your own research.
- Conduct an analysis of the results.
- To conclude.
I have used the followingresearch methods:
search, survey, observation, experiment.
Object of study: the world
Subject of study:property of invisibility of objects of the surrounding world
Main part
First, I decided to find out what my classmates know about the question that interests me: are invisible people real or fabulous fiction? In the course of the survey, I concluded
When interviewing fourth-graders of our school, it turned out that
Thus, the study of this issue is a hot topic for elementary school students.
In the explanatory dictionary, I learned that the word invisible has several meanings:
Thin, invisiblehairpin or hairpinfor women's hairstyles;
From Internet sources, I learned that not only fairy tales speak of an invisibility hat.The myths and legends of ancient Greece say that the huntress Artemis, whom the Romans called Diana, had a special crown in her wardrobe. He allowed to sneak up unnoticed to any person or animal. The ancient Egyptians believed that the goddess Bast puts on a cloak that hides her from human eyes. The famous children's writer Joanna Rowling, who is the author of the Harry Potter series of books, also did not stand aside and gave her character the coveted cloak to use, wrapping herself in which Harry and his friends could remain invisible to the human eye. Thus, since ancient times, people have been dreaming about invisible objects.
In cognitive literature, I have identified the conditions under which an object becomes invisible: transparency, colorlessness, merging with the environment. No wonder the hare is white in winter, gray in summer, but to be invisible to its enemies. Therefore, if you want to be invisible, you must have appropriate camouflage. Camouflage ( fr. camouflage - "disguise") -camouflage coloration used to reduce the visibility of people, weapons, equipment, structures, andalso protective coloranimals resulting from adaptation to the environment. Some types, for examplechameleon , octopus , squid or flounder able to change the color of the body to match the color of the environment.
German scientists have created an invisibility cloak that allows you to completely merge with surrounding objects. The main secret is in a special material, which is covered with millions of polymer blocks, one hundred microns in size. They allow you to make it so that what is behind his back is projected onto a person.
During the exercises, the British tank disappeared in front of those present, as if it had vanished into thin air. It was not an optical illusion, just the British military was testing a special type of camouflage for military equipment, which allows the equipment to become invisible. The Japanese military is demonstrating the development of their scientists to the whole world. Their cloak also helps in camouflage. It is made of a special matter based on nano technology. This fabric is made up of a million bead-like particles. Miniature cameras and screens are built into each of them. These cameras capture what is happening behind the back, and then transmit the video to screens embedded in the fabric. Thus, the observer looks, as it were, through a person in magical clothes. The Japanese cloak - invisibility - has a serious drawback. The fabric from which it is sewn is very expensive. It is easy to damage it: after all, cameras and television screens require careful handling, which means that the soldier must be very careful, otherwise the equipment will break and all his invisibility will disappear. That is why the Japanese military is in no hurry to change their soldiers into invisibility cloaks. Russian scientists are also working on the creation of invisibility cloaks. They have developed a completely artificial material that has a three-dimensional structure and, as it were, refracts light rays. The result is a fabric that can make a person invisible. The principle of operation of such a material is simple: the light falling on the cloak is not displayed, but, as it were, goes around it, that is, an illusion is created, an optical illusion. Therefore, it is impossible to notice a person dressed in a cloak made of such fabric. All invisibility cloaks have one weak point - they are able to deceive human vision, but a night vision device cannot. Therefore, Russian scientists are working in this direction and soon new cloaks will appear - invisibility, which will hide not only people, but also equipment. The army that will use modern inventions will have advantages in military operations. It is for these purposes that the invisible fabric is created.
I think that in the future, scientists will also invent soundproof and smellproof raincoats. Such raincoats can be used for peaceful purposes. For example, you can watch wild animals in them so as not to disturb their peace.
Not only objects can be made invisible, but also text. This can be done with invisible ink. They are also called cute.
Recordings with such ink are initially invisible and become visible only under certain conditions (heating, lighting, chemical developer). Since ancient times, people have known the recipes for such ink. As ink can be used: milk, citric acid, onion juice, apple juice, wax, washing powder, starch. Used them in secret correspondence.Usually the writing process is carried out as follows: the first layer - an important record is applied with invisible ink, the second layer - a meaningless record visibleink . I will check the effect of such ink during the experiments.
Experiment #1
Hypothesis: My guess is that the notes made by the milk when heated will become visible.
He poured some milk into a cup. He took a brush and made an inscription on a piece of paper. Then let the paper dry thoroughly. The inscription disappeared and became invisible. Then he placed the candle in the center of the plate and lit it. He took a dry sheet of paper and held it over the flame of a candle at a distance of at least 10 cm. He constantly moved the sheet back and forth so that it did not have time to catch fire.After a few seconds, I saw brown letters and drawings that I had made appear on white paper.
Conclusion : the records made by the milk when heated are visible. When heated, the milk "burned" and the records became visible. Using such ink, you can play spies.
Experiment #2
Hypothesis: I guess if the records madewax, cover with watercolor, then they will become visible.
I took a piece of paper and made notes with a candle. The notes were invisible on a white sheet of paper. Then he covered the sheet with watercolor, and the note could be read.
Thus, my hypothesis was confirmed.
Conclusion : recordings madewaxed, covered with watercolors are visible.
This is possible because wax does not dissolve in water. And water-based watercolors. Such a technique with wax can be used not only in secret correspondence with friends, but also as a trick and in the fine arts, making drawings.
I decided to make a series of drawings in this technique.
Conclusion
In the course of the study, the goal was achieved, the tasks set were solved. The hypothesis was confirmed: the study of the topic "Invisibles" helped me answer the question: "Invisibles - is it a reality or a fabulous fiction?"
During my research I did the following conclusions:
1. The word "invisible" has several meanings:
Thin, inconspicuous hairpin or barrettefor women's hairstyles;
- an invisible object - in fairy tales: a hat that makes the one who puts it on invisible;
An invisible being, that is, inaccessible to sight, imperceptible;
2. People have long dreamed of invisible objects. Dreams were realized in fairy tales, myths, legends, works of art.
3. Conditions under which an object becomes invisible: transparency, colorlessness, merging with the environment.
4. The environment is used camouflage -
An amazing video has appeared on the Web in which a Chinese inventor demonstrates his creation - an invisibility cloak. Earlier we told why Muslims and Jews, the site reports.
The invisibility cloak sparked controversy on social media
The quantum cloak is made of a transparent material that can reflect light.
The video was watched by more than 20 million people, several thousand of which left their various comments. While some are shocked by such an invention, others are sure that all this is due to special effects.
So, an employee of Quantum Video is sure that the invisibility cloak does not exist, and for the filming of this video, ordinary green fabric was used, which was edited using a certain program. This is often used during the filming of action films and science fiction.
However, Chen Shikyu, deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Department, is pleased with this invention, noting that the invisibility cloak will help the army, since the soldier in it will not only not be seen by the enemy during the day, but also through a night vision device. The only thing that worries the official is what will happen if the invention falls into the hands of enemies.
JoInfoMedia journalist Anna Ash recalls, we previously talked about famous families over which. What curses prevailed over the mighty of this world? Who cursed the Romanovs, the Kennedys, and many others? At what age and from what did they die?
Zhemchugova Tatiana
Project Manager:
Makashutina Lyudmila Viktorovna
Institution:
MBOU secondary school No. 2 ZATO Ozerny, Tver region
My research paper in physics "Invisibility cloak: myth or reality?" is devoted to the study of the possibility of creating a real invisibility cloak, the search for technical solutions to this problem. In the course of my research, I will try to understand how "invisibility" works, I will conduct an experiment.
In a research project in physics on the topic "Invisibility Cloak: Myth or Reality?" I will conduct a survey of students of our school about knowledge in the field of creating an invisibility cloak in the modern world.
In the process of research work in physics on the topic "Invisibility Cloak - myth or reality?" I will need to search for information on known invisibility cloak technologies and review existing invisibility cloak technologies.
Introduction
1. Poll about the invisibility cloak.
2. How Invisibility works
1.1. Way to become invisible #1.
1.2. Way to become invisible number 2.
1.3. Way to become invisible #3.
1.4. Way to become invisible number 4.
3. Experiment "Camouflage"
Conclusion
Literature
Introduction
The ability to become invisible at will for centuries has been one of the top three greatest human desires, along with flying and the ability to see what is far away.
Today, these are no longer stories from a fairy tale: we already have planes, orbital stations, television and the Internet.
By creating real invisibility cloak scientists took up only a quarter of a century ago, but in such a short period of time they managed to find several technical solutions to this problem at once.
Targets and goals:
- Conduct a survey of school students about their knowledge of the modern technical possibilities of creating a fabulous invisibility cloak in the modern world.
- Explore the possibilities of creating a real invisibility cloak.
- To acquaint students with the technical solutions to this problem.
Work plan:
- Ask your parents about the existence of an invisibility cloak. Ask students about their knowledge of its existence.
- Search for information about known features and technologies for creating an invisibility cloak.
- Understand how "invisibility" works.
- Classification and consideration of all technologies for creating an invisibility cloak.
1. Poll about the invisibility cloak
Our students were asked the following questions:
- Would you like to have an invisibility cloak?
- What for?
- What do you think in the modern world with technological progress is it possible to create an invisibility cloak?
Poll results:
one. " Would you like to have an invisibility cloak?»
There was an answer Yes».
But there are those who do not want to have an invisibility cloak.
2. To the question " Why do they need an invisibility cloak» schoolchildren answered:
- "So that no one can see them"
- “To skip physical education calmly and not catch the eye”
- "Spy on others"
- "To rob a bank"
Well, others did not say why they need it.
3. To the last question " What do you think in the modern world with technological progress is it possible to create an invisibility cloak? the schoolchildren answered that in our world there is not enough technology to invent a raincoat, but someone, hoping for this, answered that there is a possibility.
2. How Invisibility works
In order to understand what " invisibility»
, you must first understand what " visibility»
.
In a vacuum or in a transparent medium, light rays propagate in a straight line. However, if the beam meets an obstacle, it is transformed - reflected, refracted, absorbed.
Once in the human eye, such a modified beam allows us to " see».
Way to become invisible #1
The first way to become invisible: a special material that refracts rays.
A group of American scientists from the University of California at Berkeley created a prototype of the invisibility cloak, which turned out to be as close as possible to its description in science fiction.
True, so far the developed system can hide only microscopic objects from human sight.
Way to become invisible #2
The second way to become invisible: projection of everything that is behind the object onto a special screen in front.
It should be understood that scientists had similar developments before, for example, earlier at another university they created system " masking» lenses, which redirected the sun's rays and made the object pseudo-invisible.
The new development is an invisibility cloak to the fullest.
Way to become invisible #3
The third way to become invisible: « chameleon" or " camouflage» - accept the color of the environment.
Camouflage massively began to be used by the military around the world relatively recently - from the end of the 19th century.
Before that, the military uniform looked much more attractive - bright colors, mostly blue, red and white, epaulettes, shiny buttons. All this greatly facilitated the management of troops on the ground.
Then, technological progress and the improvement of warfare methods demanded that the soldiers be less visible against the background of the surrounding nature, and for more than 100 years, all kinds of camouflages have been solving this problem with varying success.
But now it is no longer enough for the military to paint the uniform more cleverly, and scientists are looking for fundamentally different approaches to hiding people and equipment on the ground.
Way to become invisible #4
The fourth way to become invisible: shield of radio waves.
Light rays and radio waves are of the same nature - they are electromagnetic oscillations.
Scientists from several countries are close to creating such a material that makes a person or any other object invisible to others. However, in the current conditions, it is not enough to create a visual trick for the human eye. A real invisibility cloak must mask an object in dozens of different ways. And scientists-inventors are working on it.
At one time, the Japanese tried to solve the problem of creating an invisibility cloak, as they say, on the forehead. They created a special cloak with hundreds of mini video cameras on one side and hundreds of small screens on the other. When activated, the cameras capture the space behind the hidden object and transmit the image to the screens in front of it. As a result, an object covered with such a cloak is, as it were, covered with a television picture of the void. However, this path is a dead end. And the very idea of an invisibility cloak was replaced by the idea of a television illusion.
In parallel, scientists from a number of countries are looking for and creating materials with special properties that should work with light and take into account its nature. Scientists from Singapore presented their version of invisible technology. At the TED conference in Los Angeles, they showed a transparent cube. Optical calcite crystals make it possible to refract rays in such a way that the object behind the cube becomes invisible. Singaporeans, however, are sure that calcite will most likely be used to improve the quality of transmission over fiber optics, as well as in the creation of new digital cameras.
The wave nature of light prompted scientists to create a material that these waves would be forced to flow around. It allows the waves to visually hide objects, creating the effect of invisibility. In this case, the rays should converge again behind the object, retaining their original direction. This requires the use of metamaterials with unusual properties. The first such materials appeared in 2006. Scientists at the University of Texas say they have created one version of this material, which they call "metascreen". This ultra-thin and flexible material is created from strands of copper and polycarbonate film.
However, Texas took a different approach. The waves do not flow around the material, the ultrathin film scatters and neutralizes ultrashort waves: the material itself is thinner than the wavelength. While such a cape makes relatively small objects invisible. During the experiments, scientists hid an 18-centimeter-high ceramic cylinder, which was wrapped in a "meta-screen". The object became invisible when viewed through a microwave scanner. It is microwave electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 1 mm (frequency 300 GHz) to 1 m (300 MHz) that is used in most radars.
However, by developing the model, Texas scientists will be able to shield the object from visible radiation, which is similar to microwaves and infrared waves. Most likely, this approach will become the main one in the creation of modern camouflage materials. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is working on a similar material that affects the electromagnetic field. So far, only a computer model of special nanoparticles has been created.
It is assumed that the material created from them will not force the particles to flow around it, but will simply let the electrons pass through itself, as if the obstacle does not exist at all. And in this case "invisibility" is rather an additional property. With this technology, it is supposed to improve the materials used in thermoelectric devices, combining in them the qualities of high electrical conductivity with low thermal conductivity.
Also, these developments can be used to create switches in electronic environments. And by the way, the invisibility of an object to the naked human eye in modern conditions is worth little in itself. An object can be illuminated by waves of another type, calculated from the radiation of a mobile phone, etc. There are enough working technical devices of various types.
Therefore, it becomes relevant to create a material that can mask the carrier in dozens, if not hundreds of parameters. Something similar, but so far based on their own modest capabilities, is being created by designer Adam Harvey from New York. He is trying to use the growing concern in the United States about the use of drones for total surveillance of people. Last year, in a lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the US government acknowledged the existence of 64 operating drone bases in the country.