I’ve read a lot about this thing and I’m still getting chills thinking about the very idea of an invisibility cloak. But it really is real! Really guys. Technology is quickly catching up to Harry Potter and Star Trek, as scientists have developed a cloaking device that hides something about the size of a paper clip. The ‘cloak’ is a calcite crystal that bends light around an object so that you’re seeing whatever is behind the crystal, rather than in it.

 

According to Gawker’s rather humorous headline: “Scientists Invent Invisibility Cloak for 1,000th Time,” this isn’t the first time something’s been rendered invisible. Apparently, scientists have used other types of crystals, a gold plate, and even something called a “carpet cloak” to make the seen unseen. This is the first time, however, that something as big as a paperclip has vanished. Other attempts have been limited to the micro level.

 

So instead of hiding atoms (which people can’t see anyway), now we can hide our office supplies! Pretty soon we’ll be up to stapler-size, and then just think of the office pranks we could pull! “I believe you have my stapler.” “That’s ridiculous! I don’t SEE it anywhere!”

 

There is a catch, though: we can still see the crystal. So when we finally do make it to full body size, we may not see a person, but we will see a giant crystal walking around, which would probably be even more conspicuous. Sorry ninjas, you’re probably going to have to wait a little bit longer to be truly invisible. While you’re waiting, I hear Lord of the Rings has a pretty good invisibility gig going on, with the one ring and all. You might have to fight Frodo, Gollum, and nine emo zombies to get in on it, but hey, good things don’t come easy.

 

If you’d like to learn more about the invisibility cloak, here’s a link to a video you can watch, or click here for an article and another cool video.