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Call for questions: INVISIBILITY (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-02 18:31:19
Imported:
2026-06

Content

That's right, we've got an expert on Imperceptible Spectrology coming up. In the comments, ask Dr. Greg Gbur of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Physics and Optical Science department about ... INVISIBILITY. 

So excited to seeeeee how this turns out. 

-Ol' Ward

Comments

Doxx

Is creating an invisibility cloak possible? Also, if you had to pick a super power, would it be invisibility?

Katherine

Is it, is it.... Possible???

Julie-Anne

Is there a fictional representation of invisibility that you think is most plausible?

Frankie Sellitto

What is the difference between invisibility and transparency?

Bronwyn Cole

Are there any living organisms that have the power of invisibility?

The other Ally

I also want to know! Do we have the technology for invisibility cloaks?!

Isabel Vaz

What are your views on invisibility technology being designed and used for military purposes?

Kyla C (KAI-luh, rhymes with Myra or Lyla)

1) can you explain in plain but precise language WHY certain materials are transparent, translucent, have color, and/or are opaque? please please go into depth or refer me to some handy visuals. Like, what determines whether a material scatters, absorbs, refracts, or reflects light and sometimes it does more than one of these or none of these? 🤯🤯🤯

Kelsey lore

Do you have any favourite myths or legends that feature invisibility?

Brandilyn Bennett

Difference between invisibility where people can't see you but can still interact with you (i.e. hear you or could bump into you) and invisibility where you can't be seen or felt/heard/etc? Are they both technically "invisibility". Are they just a difference of interpretation?

Mary of the Grapefruit

Is there body armor in the military using invisibility through LEDs? Not to see through, but to reflect their surroundings?

Moses Cabrera

Exactly like yes I get that glass is clear but why can't we see literally anything in it 😭

Kelly Shaver

What is invisible vs transparent vs reflective cloaking?

Chris Moore

Is invisibility just visual? What does invisibility look like in other senses that humans and non-humans have?

Sarah McEachern

Are there any examples of invisibility in nature that you study to better understand the phenomenon?

Kelly Shaver

Can something be invisible if no one is around to not see it?

Maren Prophit

I swear that whenever I'm looking for my keys, phone, or headphone case that the object is always someone right in front of me or in plain sight, yet I find that I will pass it over two or three times before actually "seeing" it - what's the deal?

Taylor Morrison-Mooney

Can you explain how/why my wallet and keys turn invisible when I’m late for work? Is it because they can sense fear or is there some deeper science at play?

Melanie Metzger

And to add on...if so, what do you find as the coolest example of such?

EdNoGG

Rainbows are they technically always just invisible?

Sage Scarberry

If Dr. Gbur could be invisible, what would he do with his superpower?

Brittany Kaufman

Is something like a Klingon cloaking device ever going to be feasible? For large ships or even for individual people?

Caroline

Is camouflage a form of invisibility?

Diana Teeter

Is something considered invisible if humans can’t see it but other species can? For example seeing things in color wavelengths outside human view. Or bad example-my cat always attacks the same spot on the wall even though I can’t see anything there. Is he attacking something invisible to me but that he can see? Or is he just a lovable dork?

Sage Scarberry

My understanding of the visible spectrum is that color only exists when light shines off it. So when there is no light, what happens to the color? Are leaves still green on the night of a new moon?

Adam Silk

Is there a material that is entirely opaque to all electromagnetic radiation? Or something that is entirely clear to all electromagnetic radiation?

Annmarie Everhart

FTQA: Is invisibility related to dark matter/dark energy because it seems like they should be related?

ConnieConnieBoBonnie

Is dark matter invisible? What about black holes? Is camouflage a kind of invisibility or something totally different? If humans gained invisibility as a super power, do you think it would be used more for good or evil? If invisibility was a superpower you could choose, would you choose it? Why or why not? What other superpower would you prefer?

Sage Scarberry

Can you actually “bend light” like they say on the scifi channel? (Pronounced sifee for funsies)

Sage Scarberry

Please explain: octopuses that change their skin to become invisible. How???

Adam Silk

Is there a spectrum outside of visible light that's widely used by science? Is it very common to use infrared cameras, or ultraviolet cameras? Or radio cameras?

Brenna Quirk

I see physics I think astro… does your research relate to dark matter? could the study of invisibility inform the study or dark matter, or vice versa?

Sage Scarberry

I’ve learned recently that this is an ADHD thing! My husband does this all the time lol. It’s like his brain will just delete the thing he’s looking for even if he’s looking right at it

Dom Kavo

probably a dumb question but is there a reason that invisibility is often a super power alongside the ability to create force fields? (i.e. violet from the incredibles or Susan storm from the fantastic four?)

Christian Krupp

How close are we/will it ever be possible to have legitimate cloaking tech from 360 degree view? Are the more successful attempts using light refraction/mirror stuff or cameras/projectors to show what’s on the other side of the subject? Are there any semantic differences between “invisible” and “imperceptible”?

Piper Warnick

What different sci-fi and fantasy books, shows, movies get right and wrong about invisibility? To the way any of them approach it come close to something that makes sense?

Shannon Siegel

What would it mean go be successful with creating something to be invisible? Is that just to the naked eye or are there other things that would qualify something as invisible?

Bilal Ahmed

First time question asker here: I had a professor at university who helped author a journal paper on invisibility cloaks, so im curious. How close are we to invisibility cloaks? How far has the technology and research advanced on these transparent metamaterials?

Shannon Siegel

Are items like Harry Potters invisibility cloak actually possible?

Katie Payne

I would rather not be perceived. Can you help?

Alena Litin

I know the whole Jurassic park “don’t move and the T. rex can’t see you” thing is not true but im wondering if there are any animals whose visual system does indeed work like that, rendering prey literally invisible when they’re not moving

Eric Burnette

In an age of AI and facial recognition and cameras everywhere, how could a person remain anonymous? For example, is there tech that could scramble facial recognition?

Leanna Shuster

Obvious question, but is there any actual chance for one object to make another invisible, a la Invisibility Cloak?

Justin Daggett

We love to say “seeing is believing” but there are so many absolutely real things we can’t see! Is there any scientific discourse surrounding non-visible yet observable phenomena? I.E. spooky stuff… what do you think?

Lina Staudt

Oh, awesome question!! I've heard of an italian brand that does stuff like that!

Astrology & Stuff

UNCC grad here! Go Niners! Thanks for representing Charlotte! And for my question: Is there anything else in the material universe that can behave the way photons do- as both wave and particle? Bonus: What’s your favorite non-light EMF?

geo.sassie

If invisibility is something not visible to humans - could something be not visible on our visible light spectrum but still "observable" via non-visible light?

Olivier Calas

How many notable scientific attempts, if any, at attaining invisibility have there been to this day?

Sacrificial

First time commentor, year long listener. Invisibility in media! Harry potter, star wars and space media with cloaking, and then newer stuff such as Unstable (if you haven't watched it yet you should). Who's got the right idea, who's completely out to lunch? Are there any movies or tv shows or games that seem to be along the right track with how invisibility would work?

Beau Jarvis

This is most important question.

Lina Staudt

1) was there a scifi or fantasy Book that got it just right? Or has any theory from these books helped with *actually* creating something like an invisibility cloak? Does that work? 2) is the military already working on stuff like an invisible army? Like invisible tanks? I know they've created shields which kinda help 3) can true invisibility be achieved? Or can one only adapt to their surroundings to become semi invisible?

Stephanie Leské

For realsies... how close are we to this technology & doesn't it scare you if this was ever made available to the general public or even only the rich who could afford it would we not all be a lot more fucked than we are as a species or am I just over anxious at the actual reality of this...

Emily Staw-fur

When was the idea of invisiblity created? Has it existed for all of humanity or was it a technology introduced through scifi literature?

Emily Staw-fur

I've seen videos of people stepping in front of sheets that bend light in such a way that when you're behind it, you're effectively "invisible". Are there size limitations to this? How far away are we from being able to make something like a vehicle or a house invisible?

Erin Mecchi

second time question asker hehe, is the thing about bees thinking you're functionally invisible if you stand still true?

Courtney Jones

Is there something to explain why some people are able to be "invisible" to others even when they are in fact visible? I used to accidentally startle people in the library because they "did not see me." Are there some people more likely to be "invisible" in that way?

Marianne Thomas

Mine'e ultrasound. No contest. Excellent question 😋

Emily Staw-fur

How much of invisibility is actually just utilizing the brain's ability to ignore or re-evaluate information it receives?

Chelsea Wilck

Are there other things that exist in nature that are "invisible" in certain light and visible once the light changes (like a rainbow in sprinklers situation)...like are we just not seeing certain things around us because of perspective? also heat waves WHAT is the deal with those like they look how you expect someone in an invisibility cloak would appear, right? is anything real? ah! i do love this as a topic though wow

Emily Staw-fur

Can you talk about the videos where they have you focus on something in the foreground, such as people throwing a ball back and forth, and a clown walks by in the background? How is it that our brain is able to ignore something so obvious?

Marianne Thomas

Tell us about the invisible mice! Sorry, over excited. Awesome topic. I saw invisible mice (or did I?) at London's natural history museum. They'd been treated with an enzyme that affects their refractive index, & were in a jar of glycerine? I may have misremembered some or all of the details but it remains one of the coolest things I've ever seen

Jocelyn Taylor

What is your hypothesis on how Skinner from “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” became invisible? I believe the time period is in 1898, so how do you think he made himself invisible during that time period?

JENN 'Benthopelagic squirrel' ALVAREZ

Other than ocean life that can change to "clear", are there other examples in the animal kingdom? And is that considered invisibility? If not, why not? They're literally doing their best.🤣

Lexi Bacque

Hi Dad Ward. What would the expect do if they could be invisible for the day?! 👻

Jenny Lowe Rhodes

Invisibility cloaks? Can I have one? How do they work? Like Harry Potter or Unstable (Rob Lowe’s show on Netflix where you still see the eyes)?

Cori

First time question asker - are there things that are invisible to us in multiple ways? Like, visually but also sonically and using other tests like to see mass, etc

Joy Johnson

Invisible.... but to whom, or what? I believe my friend "sees" other peoples' auras, but I sure can't! Animals' senses, not just vision, differ from species to species and even among our own species. Even my legally blind mother could see a speck of dust on her coffee table, invisible to me for sure :-)

Heather Horton Whedon

What does Dr. Gbur think of how invisibility is portrayed in film? I was specifically thinking of 'The Invisible Man', starring Elizabeth Moss, from 2020. And also, what is Dr Gbur's favourite example of invisibility in film?

Samantha Freeman

Have you seen the episode of “Castle” where the murderer wore an invisibility suit from the lab they worked at? Then was caught because they sprayed a fire extinguisher on the killer and it stopped working? Would this work for making an invisibility suit detectable?

Hope T

Does Imperceptible Spectrology include ghosts/supernatural/spirits? Is my deceased childhood best friend fucking with my lights whenever he's around? Ever since he passed away two and a half years ago, lights around me flicker every once in a while, specifically the ones in my bedroom(s) (and I've moved three times since he passed). Maybe it's a coincidence, but I feel better thinking he might be hanging out with me.

aa.brown.bb

Two questions: 1) How much of what you do is focused on actual invisibility and how much is practical invisibility (like something is not hidden but our focus won't set on the thing so it feels like it's not there)? 2) Some people, like me, experience Visual Snow (everything has a slight static, like seeing very small, blinking pixels). There's no known cause that scientists are sure of. (Dumb question part) Do you think it possible that it comes from some people being more able to perceive the wiggly-ness of light waves?

Scott Hanley

Just watched this subject. Discussed on StarTalk should be a great ologies episode. Looking forward to it.

Elven Eleven

I imagine there are different types of invisibility. What are they?

Trevor Hagedorn

What advances in material science are required to make a metamaterial electromagnetic cloak for the visible light spectrum? And what are Dr. Gbur's thoughts on the use of fiber-optic cable and/or doped photovoltaic cells to capture light on one side of an object and radiate it on the other side?

anthony willis

how long has invisibility been a concept for people to study in academics?

Michael

Is it true if we look at an object a certain way It becomes invisible to us? My teacher told me something like that in middle school

cash.ruska

Have you ever read the book "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements? Tl;dr - a teenager sleeps under a heated blanket and becomes invisible. Spoiler ahead: Does the science of sleeping under a defective headed blanket during heightened solar electromagnetic activity in any way even remotely check out?? Aka how do I become invisible??

Melanie Abbott

Is anything truly invisible? Does it not depend on the ‘lens’ you are looking through? I.E thermal camera, microscope, night vision v the human eye.

Taylor Faulkner

Hey Dad Ward! Super excited about this topic! Saving my first time question for another one though. However, I wanted to ask about the adds. Do we have to listen to the adds all the way through for you to get the money or is it okay if we skip them sometimes? I wouldn’t want to take away from the donation pot.

Brie Stewart

How close are we to invisibility cloaks?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Are we talking cameras projecting what's behind us for sort of camouflage? Mirrors? Misdirection? Will we still leave foot prints in the snow and give ourselves away by sneezing?

Marie

Why Are some fish translucent?

Catherine Wood

Is anybody using Vantablack to achieve a kind of invisibility? If not, why not?

Zed Shirogane

How can living things be see through? They have to have cells and blood and whatnot, so how come some animals achieve the almost completely see through look?

Pavka34

I read somewhere that DARPA is working on an invisibility “cloak”. As I remember, yes it can work but the problem is you can’t see out. I’d like to know more (was this BS?)

jimmyoconn

Interesting! I am sure invisibility covers a wide range of topics: looking forward to it :) My question is, with today's advanced surveillance and tracking technology, does Dr. Greg Gbur imagine it's possible for someone to flee, let's say, an urban environment, either due to committing a serious crime or simply carrying an extremely isolated, antisocial personality--like Frankenstein's monster--and after, end up existing completely off the grid from society, including governments, rendering themselves essentially invisible?

Pavka34

In Stephen Baxter’s novel “Evolution” a frog evolves that is completely invisible. This is great for attacking prey, but it is extremely vulnerable to UV. Would this be true?

Avren Keating

Very important question: how does a superhero's costume also go invisible when they do?

Rachel von Morrigan

I’m very sure this will be covered, but…..hooooooooooowwwwwww? I can’t wrap my tiny mind around it.

Alaina Cruson

Could you talk about conjugated alkenes and organic molecules and how they reflect light? (Sincerely an O Chem nerd)

Mary Franks

What is the difference between camouflage and invisibility? Are there any evolutionary drawbacks to invisibility?

Seán Thomas Kane

Are there certain situations, day vs night, when invisibility would be theoretically more possible?

Average_pi

Is there a possibility of invisibility cloaks ( like in Harry Potter ) existing and is the videos I saw of a material that makes people almost disappear flim flam

Dave Schuster

A few years ago there was an invisibility solution built in two pairs of lenses with different focal lengths. It was a popular post for a while and I never heard any more about it, so I’m guessing it was fake? (Also, the video did seem to have a jump cut in it!)

Mark Hewlette

How the heck? Are we talking natural? Technological? If the latter, are we talking a combo of cameras and led screens? Or is there something else???

Gordon Haas

Do the technologies used in Stealth Fighter Jets have possible uses in the visual spectrum?

Lizzy Martinez

What's so fascinating to me is not being able to see with the human eye all the molecules in the air that I am breathing in right now. Can we talk about things that appear invisible but are actually there?

Dakota Van Eyk

Will I ever be able to have an invisibility cloak like Harry Potter?

TJ Mckenna

What’s the definition of invisible anyway? Like the air is invisible, unless you look up at the sky and count seeing blue as the air being visible.

Erin

Yes! I really want to hear about glass frogs and how they... glass.

Lily

Is the tech in the film “The Invisible Man” real/achievable??? That film scared the scat out of me

Erin

Dark matter! Do you think we'll ever know what it is?

Lily

Do global militaries use/study invisibility for their nefarious needs? Like stealth and such?

Jadine Lannon

How mad is this ologist when someone goes invisible in a movie/show and their clothes also go invisible?? I no nothing about this and I am mad about it because, I dunno, physics or something!! It just doesn't make sense

Lily

What do we know about marine animals ability to camouflage or like jelly fish being see though and sometimes imperceptible? How does camouflage factor into invisibility? Are they different? Or is it like a square being a rectangle but a rectangle not a square?

Hannah Walsh

Any excuse to bring in Star Trek but would Romulan cloaking technology ever be scientifically possible?

Tim Kihneman

Theoretically, if someone were to become invisible - assuming light is being refracted around them completely, wouldn’t they also be blind? And if that’s true…how freaky would it be if someone were completely invisible except for their eyes so they could see?

Emmett

First time question asker! :) Does an animal's ability to camouflage count as invisibility? Such as an octopus or chameleon? Thank you!

Aeriel Belk

There was a Buffy episode where there was a girl that was so shy and ignored by her peers that she just turned invisible. I know that most of us don't live on hellmouths, but on a scale of 1 to 10 how possible is that situation?

Megan Younce

I have no questions that haven't already been asked but I'm VERY excited for this episode. (Invisibility is always my "if you could have one superpower" answer)

Connor they them

What ways are animals' camouflage being studied and used in technology both in everyday society and war. I would love to know about the lesser known examples as well as more popular ones like chameleons, cuttlefish, and octopuses. Their ability to move the pigment around is incredible. Additionally cuttlefish and octopuses have been observed to replicate not only solid colors, but patterns and textures as well which I imagine could have many uses. - first name only. They/them

Chris Brewer

Is the future so bright that we have to wear shades?

WonderSteven

Is it true that if a person were truly invisible they wouldn’t be able to see either because of how the light reflects off of them?

Patricia Evans

Given all the questions in this thread with popular culture references (Buffy, Star Trek, Movie) why do you think people are so obsessed with the possibility of being able to become invisible? Wouldn't it just be creepy not to know who's there/watching/listening?

Kevin Beamer

If "invisibility" is actually being worked on, how far beyond the visible spectrum are they trying to go (such as infrared, ultraviolet, etc.)?

Kate Oldham

Follow up, would those ignored teens also become super spies for the government?

Findlay Munro

Is there military interest in developing invisibility technology, both in terms of conflict and for espionage? How could you imagine invisibility being used in that context, or has it already been done to some extent?

Cate Muenker

Are there levels of invisibility or types of invisibility? Does it depend on the scale or the measurement used? What measurement do you use to measure invisibility? Is anything truly invisible? If I had to ask those questions in person, I would probably wish that I'm invisible ;-P

Lazer Introlegator

Where is the line between invisibility and camouflage? Or are they the same thing if the camouflage is good enough?

Anna Eeeee

When was the first time in human history the idea of invisibility came up? Has it always been a super power many people wish they had? How far does it go back??

Anna Eeeee

How do you feel about Harry Potter’s invisibility clock

Naar

is it true that if you actually were to be invisible you would be completely blind and deaf

Nico Price

I’d google “object permanence” and that is definitely an ADHD thing (among others!)

Valerie Bertha

Do we have some form of invisibility that exists currently in nature? any way we can emulate it? How would violet from the Incredibles or Sue from the fantastic four manipulate the body to turn invisible? Are we anywhere close to creating an invisibility cloak like Harry Potter or the Romulans cloaking device?

Kirsten Silvey

In the early 2000s, I was involved with a report on military cloaking technology. Of course, I loved the idea as I was listening to Harry Potter on CD during my commute. At the time, the tech seemed to be based on bending light around an object (similar to fiber optics). How far has the tech come over the past 20 years?

Danae DeJournett

My husband had a great question that I’m not sure whether anyone else has asked! He wanted to know whether all of the invisible superheroes would be blind since light passes through them instead of going into their eyes. Except he phrased it more intelligently… Thoughts? (Also, name pronounced Duh-nay Day-zhur-nay, similar to “breakfast” in ~Franch~)

Kai

What is your favorite depiction on invisibility in pop culture media?

RoadLesTravelled

Invisibility? I think about Klingon cloaking devices, the Invisible Man, and any number of wizard / witchcraft stories. What about military efforts to create invisible clothing: is it all so much fiction?

Catherine Parker Edmonson

at what age do toddlers realize they cannot actually conceal themselves? Aka, my kid throws a blanket over his head. But his legs are right there, in plain sight. He thinks he's invisible... like an ostrich in the sand (who also wakes me up at night)

Katie Hultman

What kind of laws would have to be put in place if invisibility was actually achievable? Do you think it will ever be technology average people have access to? Also, in the Daughters of the Moon series, one of the characters can become invisible by like separating their molecules? Is that idea complete fiction or is there some basis of science there?

John Haubenreich

From my son Thomas Haubenreich (age 9, first time question-asker): Is it possible to have an invisibility cloak?

Milan Ilnyckyj

I know people have designed patterns meant to confound facial recognition systems - has anyone built a practical and effective model? Have facial recognition systems simply adapted to recognize us all in masks since 2020?

Matt Hirschl

Charlotte resident here! Being at UNCC, is there anywhere in the Piedmont-Triad region for invisibility sightseeing?

Nathan-Andrew

This is a specifically Greg Gbur question, rather than an invisibility one. Could you ask him about #FakeBookTitleFriday? How does he make them? They are a hilarious highlight to the week.

Nana From Canada

Just as there is Vanta Black rendering objects painted/wearing it virtually invisible when seen against a black background, could there be some substance that could reflect/distort any colour light so completely that one appears invisible?

Justice Lofton

How far apart are really good camouflage and invisibility? :0

Helen Gyselhart

What are the consequences of developing and implementing this technology

Plural Z Alpha

Is an invisibility cloak a device that is scientifically possible or could be in the future?

fullmetalknee

How scientifically sound is ship cloaking in Star Trek? Also how would you describe the difference between "invisibility" and really good camouflage like when squid and whoever else change their body color, texture, etc and effectively become the landscape around them?

fullmetalknee

Also, "in the biz" does invisibility have to describe visual things or could it also describe being "invisible" on radar and sonar?

Janika Mäki

Are any of the fictional invisibility devices even close to the truth or are they purely fantasy?

Melissa Kane

^ is invisibility relative? Can something be invisible to the naked eye but detectable by other means?

zombot

What was the worst instance of invisibility ever portrayed on film and why is it James Bond's car in 007: Die Another Day?

Greg Walloch

There are already so many invisible people all around us: unhoused folks, cleaning service/wait staff, the elderly and disabled, indigenous populations, marginalized communities. How can we heal social invisibility?

zombot

If someone were invisible (i.e. the molecules of their body), then wouldn't they also be blind, since light would pass through their corneas/retinas instead of "hitting" them?

zombot

What percent of the electromagnetic spectrum ("visible light," IR, UV, Gamma rays, X-rays, radio waves, etc.) is even visible to humans? Is it less than 1%? Also, do we even know the entire scope of the EM spectrum or are there frequencies that we can't detect or are theoretical?

zombot

Did you also have a "The Visible Man" plastic model like I did as a kid? (It was my all-time favorite model.)

zombot

What is your favorite portrayal of invisibility in film or TV? My top three (in no particular order) are the titular character in Predator (1987), Kevin Bacon's character in The Hollow Man (2000), and Chevy Chase's character in Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992).

zombot

Could you talk about the real world lenticular sheet (a.k.a. "invisibility shield") that renders a subject behind it invisible as long as there is an uninterrupted horizontal pattern behind the subject? (Google: lenticular invisibility sheet)

theWhollyGhost

Do you think there could be a way for (potentially extraterrestrial) organisms to evolve some form of actual invisibility?

PurpleGreyCorvid

Does the field of Imperceptible Spectrology involve experimentation? Or does it have a sibling field - something like Imperceptible Spectroscopy? And if yes, what do standard labs/experiments/studies look like?

Amanda

Which species is closest to achieving invisibility?

Cnidarian Knight

Also important, what animals get it right? Would chameleons actually be “invisible“

Shannon O'Grady

Do we consider chameleons invisible because they can camouflage into their surroundings?

Maité Huerta

what’s the closest we’ve gotten to invisibility?

Terena

Is there any way to be invisible in the infrared spectrum?

Maité Huerta

how have depictions of invisibility changed over time? is this a concept that has evolved through human history or is it a new concept?

Maité Huerta

and what is the earliest depiction that we know of

Maité Huerta

in your opinion, what is the most likely way human kind could reach 🫥invisibility🫥? covering yourself with invisible objects? gene editing humans to be like chameleons or octopi? or something completely different?

Ella Thompson

Do you think we can ever achieve true visibility, technologically? I am guessing that technology can, or will be able to at some point, mimic the kind of " invisibility" that is really just blending into the background and reflecting light in strategic ways (like some animals), but do you think technology can create true invisibility?

Nathan Marion

How effective is optical or active camouflage. Is that actually considered invisibilty? Is it true that using carbon nanotubes, scientists have been able to create light refracting technology that can essentially make objects invisible?

mike-rogers

Okay, this is a weird one, from someone completely outside your field, making huuuuuge assumptions: When using machine learning models (or other complex or nonlinear models) to search for nonunique solutions to inverse problems, do you validate the model against known sources, or...? What do you do when there are no known sources to validate against? A follow up: do you recall specific instances where you were fascinated or surprised by a model's computation of a source being wildly inaccurate, like how we experience optical (and other sensory) illusions?

Feye

How has the idea of invisibility evolved over time? I think that infrared technology for example has changed the definition of invisibility.

Jordan Frand & Laurance Fauconnet

Since visible light is just a small part of the larger electromagnetic spectrum, is it possible (practically or theoretically) to make some invisible in all parts of the spectrum?

Amy Narimatsu

Do you have any favorite lore about invisibility (if there is any, unsure tbh)?

Lani Bouwer

What do you think about the claims that soldiers that were part of Project Jedi (that govt tested in the 70’s and 80’s) were able to achieve invisibility? (The movie Men Who Stare at Goats was based on this account)

Felicia Stelsel

If you could have one superpower would you choose invisibility?

Tim Ellis

Other than military applications or tormenting your ex, what other practical uses do you see for this technology?

Teesha Coot

Could people use the physical technology that chameleons have to attempt invisibility? 🤔

S ✨

What makes something invisible? And how do you feel about what invisibility is known as today in pop culture.

Olivia Anderson

When did invisibility first become a superpower? What is the best example of invisibility in nature? Are there current technologies that use natural invisibility? Like how octopi camouflage.

Marshall Byler

Are super dark black paints like Vantablack technically invisible?

Katie Murray

What do you think of the Invisibility Cloak in Harry Potter?

Gemma

do you find other professionals in your physics/optical field don't take your work seriously or are they all in?

Gemma

What's up with the colour blue in nature? How is it that a bluejay is a bluejay but isn't true blue?

Gemma

GO AWAY GREEN !? How does this colour work and how are we all overlooking it at disney parks?

Ursula Wood

Are some things invisible to us that are visible to other creatures? And are those things considered invisible?

Hannah Michel

what's up with those markers that have invisible ink until you go over them with a special marker that reveals its colour? and what's the coolest form of cryptic invisible messaging that you've heard of?

Rosario Neyra

How can we make invisibility cloaks happen?

Alison Aiello

Why is invisibility the ultimate superpower?

floraandthefaun

hello hello FTQA here :) so i was actually thinking about this recently: if you were on a spaceship travelling faster than the speed of light, what would you see (if anything) if you looked out the window? and could the spaceship be seen from a certain distance? 👀👀 my gut says no, but my brain says that light and space and time are very weird and anything's possible in this big strange universe. ✨✌️

Patrick Foye

Are we going to have future commercials for invisibility technology or devices that add to our cultural phrases and memes like Verizon did but instead of “Can you hear me now?” the saying is “Can you see me now?”

Potato Puffer

What is invisible to humans that other animals can see? What are we missing out on?

The Aerial Mapper

HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE??? I’m sure you will cover this during the interview but my brain does not have the capacity to come up with a better question because it exploded when I found out this is actually a possibility

Renee dyke

WOW okay so literally yesterday my mate and I were driving back from fieldwork (we’re ecologists) and listened to Startalks episode on this exact topic! Specifically could you make an invisibility cloak. And we wish they went into more detail about the SCIENCE. Specifically the background required reading on electromagnetic wave mechanics specifically in relation to interacting with matter specifically specifically what material could you make an invisibility cloak out of that would make a wearer on planet earth invisible in visible light wavelengths. They mentioned (MENTIONED how dare they) a material made of tangled carbon that would absorb light but won’t let it out, also that it’s technically possible to achieve invisibility using magnets, is it though? I would love love love a Please Explain in excessive detail, please and thankyou ❤️ (Also I listened to Radiolabs love letter to you, so cute so nice well done 🤝)

30.004861 cm of fun!

Idk if this is still open but one of the most fascinating things I've ever read is Vsauce's "the speed of dark," could be some interesting jumping off points in there!

Ted Vician

Invisibility goes back at least as far as Ancient Greek mythology. Hades has a helm that makes him invisible.

Ryan Marlow

Given that the "invisibility" technologies that exist so far (as I understand it) bend light waves around an object such that they exit along roughly the same path they came in on, is it possible for that technology to be extended to other types of waves? For instance, could similar techniques be used to make sound waves pass around an object such that the object doesn't obscure sounds from a source on the other side of it?

Kathleen Sachs

What is your favorite depiction of invisibility in TV or movies?

Kathleen Sachs

Are there times in your own personal life where you have felt invisible?

Kathleen Sachs

If you suddenly gained the superpower of invisibility, what would you do? And what fun pranks would you play?

Kathleen Sachs

If you could be an “invisible” fly on the wall for any historical event (or conversation) what event would you choose and why?

Nick Mikash

Will cloaking a la Star Trek be a thing in the near future?

Jason Sereno

If invisibility works by bending light around a subject or object, would said subject be shrouded in darkness and unable to see out of their "invisibility bubble"?

Joe Wilkie

when was the term invisible coined? who were the first people to experiment with the idea?

Katie Stalder

Assuming this technology/magic is really currently happening, are there any counter measures being developed? Would there be some device to make the invisible thing visible to the user? “KT Stall-der”

Theladyisageek

How would invisibility impact other sensing technologies like radar, sonar, etc?

Milan Ilnyckyj

I updated the page to reference the costume being discussed on Ologies.