An example of how an object could appear to be invisible through the use of mirrors

Invisibility is the state of an object which cannot be seen. In Psychology, visual perception is the ability to interpret information from Visible light reaching the Eyes The resulting Perception is also An object in this state is said to be invisible (literally, "not visible"). The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real world, particularly in physics and perceptional psychology. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and

Since objects can be seen by light in the visible spectrum from a source reflecting off their surfaces and hitting the viewer's eye, the most natural form of invisibility (whether real or fictional) is an object which neither reflects nor absorbs light (that is, it allows light to pass through it). Eyes are organs that detect Light, and send signals along the Optic nerve to the visual areas of the brain In nature, this is known as transparency, and is seen in many naturally occurring materials (although no naturally occurring material is 100% transparent). In Optics, transparency (also called pellucidity) is the Material property of allowing

Visibility also depends on the eyes of the observer and/or the instruments used. Eyes are organs that detect Light, and send signals along the Optic nerve to the visual areas of the brain Thus an object can be classified as "invisible to" a person, animal, instrument, etc. In the research of sensorial perception invisibility has been shown to happen in cycles. In Psychology and the Cognitive sciences perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory Information. ^[1]

Invisibility by environment

An object may be classified as "invisible" if it cannot be noticed by use of sight due to environmental factors other than the fact that it doesn't reflect light. See also Nature The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a terminology that is comprised of all living and An object that might normally be seeable may be classified as invisible if it is:

• Behind an object.
• The same colour or pattern as the background (camouflage)
• In an environment which is too dark or too bright. Camouflage is a method of cryptic or concealing coloration that allows an otherwise visible Organism
• In a particular observer's blind spot.
• utilizing video/image capture (background capture), dynamic modification of background image data transmitted to object attached display causes invisibility to human sight within the human sight light/photonic frequency range.

Invisibility in physics

Theoretical and practical physics offer several causes of invisibility. Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. An object may be invisible if it is:

• So massive that its escape velocity exceeds the speed of light (such objects are called black holes)
• Transparent (such as air and many other gases)
• Emitting or reflecting light outside the wavelength range of visible light. Mass is a fundamental concept in Physics, roughly corresponding to the Intuitive idea of how much Matter there is in an object In Physics, escape velocity is the speed where the Kinetic energy of an object is equal to the magnitude of its Gravitational potential energy A black hole is a theoretical region of space in which the Gravitational field is so powerful that nothing not even Electromagnetic radiation (e Temperature and layers The temperature of the Earth's atmosphere varies with altitude the mathematical relationship between temperature and altitude varies among five This page is about the physical properties of gas as a state of matter Light, or visible light, is Electromagnetic radiation of a Wavelength that is visible to the Human eye (about 400–700 In Physics wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a propagating Wave of a given Frequency. (Radiation is generally invisible by this means. Radiation, as in Physics, is Energy in the form of waves or moving Subatomic particles emitted by an atom or other body as it changes from a higher energy ) Unfortunately, this would result in any obscured human being becoming not invisible and transparent, but completely opaque and resembling a human-shaped black hole.
• A recent breakthrough (2006) at Imperial College London has shown that invisibility is possible by using specifically patterned crystals made up of nanoscale boxes that hold electrons. When light hits these crystals, it becomes entangled within the boxes, causing the object to become transparent. ^[2]
• Theoretically, it is possible to make an object invisible, if the object has the same refractive index as the surrounding medium (e. The refractive index (or index of Refraction) of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light (or other waves such as sound waves is reduced inside the medium An optical medium is material through which Electromagnetic waves propagate g. air. Temperature and layers The temperature of the Earth's atmosphere varies with altitude the mathematical relationship between temperature and altitude varies among five ) (This is the mechanic used in HG Well's The Invisible Man. Not to be confused with Invisible Man, a novel written by Ralph Waldo Ellison )

Invisibility by technology

Technology can be used theoretically or practically to render real-world objects invisible:

• Making use of real-time image displayed on a wearable display, scientists are able to create a see-through effect, if not invisibility. This is known as active camouflage. Active camouflage or adaptive camouflage, is a group of Camouflage technologies which allow an object to blend into its surroundings by use of panels or coatings capable
• Though stealth technology is cited as invisibility to radar, all officially disclosed applications of the technology can only reduce the size and/or clarity of the signature detected by radar. Stealth technology also known as LOT (Low Observability Technology is a sub-discipline of military Electronic countermeasures which covers a range of techniques used with Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships
• In some science fiction stories, a hypothetical "cloaking device" is used to make objects invisible. Cloak of invisibility A cloaking device is an advanced Stealth technology that causes an object such as a spaceship or individual to be partially or wholly On Thursday October 19, 2006 a team effort of researchers from Britain and the U. S announced the development of a real cloak of invisibility, though it is only in its first stages. A cloak of Invisibility is a theme that has occurred in Fiction, and is a device which is under some scientific inquiry ^[3]
• In filmmaking, people, objects, or backgrounds can be made to look invisible on camera through a process known as chroma keying. Filmmaking is the process of making a Film, from an initial story idea or commission through scriptwriting shooting editing and finally distribution to an audience Chroma Key is the name under which ex- Dream Theater Keyboardist Kevin Moore records
• Although it has been shown that making opaque objects perfectly invisible ("non-scattering scatterers") is impossible,^[4][5] 2006 theoretical work predicts that the imperfections need not be serious, and metamaterials may make real-life "cloaking devices" practical. A metamaterial (or meta material) is a material which gains its properties from its structure rather than directly from its composition ^[6][7] The technique is suspected to be applied to radio waves within five years, and eventually visible light is a possibility. Radio frequency ( RF) is a Frequency or rate of Oscillation within the range of about 3 Hz to 300 GHz The theory that light waves can be acted upon the same way as radio waves is now a popular idea among scientists and can be compared to a stone in a river, in where the water passes around it, but leaving no trace of a stone being in the water slightly down-stream. Comparing light waves to the water and whatever object that is being "cloaked" to the stone, the desire is to have light waves pass around that object, leaving no visible aspects of it, possibly not even a shadow. ^[8] This is the technique utilized in the most recent television portrayal of The Invisible Man. The Invisible Man series debuted in 2000 and starred Vincent Ventresca, Paul Ben-Victor, Eddie Jones, Shannon Kenny and Mike McCafferty

Invisibility by magic

Alberich puts on the Tarnhelm and vanishes; illustration by Arthur Rackham to Richard Wagner's Das Rheingold

Invisibility, usually by magic, is a popular theme in fantasy, mythology and Ceremonial magic. Arthur Rackham ( 19 September 1867 &ndash 6 September 1939) was a prolific English book illustrator Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and A theme, from Old French tesme, is a broad idea in a story or literary work or a message or lesson conveyed by a written text Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" Ceremonial magic is a broad term used to encompass a wide variety of long elaborate and complex Rituals it is named as such because the works included are characterized by It is often used as a gameplay device in role-playing and strategy games. For the television channel see GamePlay HD. Gameplay includes all player experiences during the interaction with game systems especially formal A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters. A strategy game is a Game (eg computer, video or Board game) in which the players' decision-making skills have a high significance Typically, people or objects can be rendered completely invisible by several means:

• Magical objects such as rings, cloaks and amulets can be worn to grant the wearer permanent invisibility. A finger ring is a band worn as a type of ornamental Jewellery around a finger it is the most common current meaning of the word ring. A cloak is a type of loose Garment that is worn over indoor Clothing and serves the same purpose as an Overcoat &mdashit protects the wearer from the cold An amulet ( the Elder|Pliny]] meaning "an object that protects a person from trouble" a close cousin of the talisman (from Arabic
• Magical potions can be consumed to grant temporary invisibility.
• Magic spells can be cast on people or objects, usually giving temporary invisibility.
• Some mythical creatures can make themselves invisible at will, such as some versions of Leprechaun, and Chinese dragons in some tales, which can shrink so small that humans cannot see them. A legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature (often known as "fabulous creatures" in historical literature In Irish mythology, a leprechaun (leipreachán The Chinese Dragon or Oriental dragon is a mythical creature in East Asian culture with a Chinese origin
• An invisibility ritual is described in the manuscripts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and appears on the Book The Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (or more commonly the Golden Dawn) was a magical order of the late 19th and early 20th centuries practicing a form of Israel Regardie (Francis Israel Regudy (born on November 17, 1907 in London, England, died March 10 1985 in Sedona
• In the Artemis Fowl series, fairies can become invisible, or shield, by vibrating faster than the eye can see. There is a draft page for this article here. Artemis Fowl is a series of Fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair

In some works, magical invisibility is "psychic" invisibility; while the character could be normally seen by anyone who notices him, the magic distracts anyone who actually could notice him. Such invisibility can be betrayed by mirrors or other reflective surfaces.

Where magical invisibility is concerned, the issue may arise of whether the clothing and items carried by the invisible wearer/carrier are also rendered invisible. Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather In general, they are, but in some instances, clothing remains visible and must be removed for the full invisibility effect -- as for instance, the movie The Incredibles, where Violet Parr can only turn her clothing invisible when it has been specially made to allow it. The Incredibles is a 2004 Computer-animated feature Film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, Violet "Vi" Parr is a Fictional character from the movie The Incredibles.

Simultaneous invisibility and colour

Since something that is invisible has no colour associated with it, it is somewhat paradoxical to imagine an object that is both invisible and coloured. A paradox is a true statement or group of statements that leads to a Contradiction or a situation which defies intuition; or inversely This idea is most famous in the parody goddess, the Invisible Pink Unicorn. A parody (ˈpɛɹədiː US, [ˈpaɹədiː] UK) in contemporary usage is a work created to mock comment on or poke fun at an original work its subject A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities The Invisible Pink Unicorn ( IPU) is the Goddess of a satiric Parody religion aimed at theistic beliefs which takes the form of a

Sight while invisible

According to the laws of physics, a perfectly invisible person would necessarily be blind, no matter how their invisibility were achieved. In order to see light, it must be absorbed by the retina, but in order for a person to be invisible, the body must not absorb light. The vertebrate retina is a light sensitive part inside the inner layer of the Eye. So to retain sight at least pupil sized holes in the cloak would be necessary in front of the pupils and directly behind them on the back of the person as light isn't being transmitted through. In fact, according to the no cloning theorem of quantum mechanics, they could not even make a copy of the photons so they could see one copy and allow the other copy to pass through or around them. The no cloning theorem is a result of Quantum mechanics which forbids the creation of identical copies of an arbitrary unknown quantum state This idea was first discussed by Mat Ryer a computer software engineer based in London, UK.

This physical barrier appears to offset the advantage of any perfect invisibility method, unless one's intent was simply to hide and be still, letting the danger pass. On the other hand, a practical invisibility method need not allow light of all frequencies to pass all the time, so there may be ways around this limitation.

Alternatively, many works of fiction portray invisibility as a magic achievement, and since paranormal magic may be interpreted as breaking the laws of physics, it could theoretically allow sight. Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and Invisibility is often utilized in science fiction and fantasy works which people go into with a healthy suspension of disbelief, anyway. Suspension of disbelief or "willing suspension of disbelief" is an aesthetic theory intended to characterize people's relationships to art

One of the few fictional examples of a double-blind cloak comes from the Thrawn Trilogy of Star Wars novels. The Thrawn trilogy, also known as the Heir to the Empire trilogy, is a series of best-selling Novels written by Timothy Zahn. Grand Admiral Thrawn's cloaking devices make the ships wielding them invisible, but also prevent those inside the ship from seeing out. Grand Admiral Thrawn (full name Mitth'raw'nuruodo) is a Fictional character and major antagonist from the Star Wars galaxy. Thus, most of the time, ships using this type of cloak remain stationary, dropping the cloak just before battle. (See the beginning of Specter of the Past for an example of this tactic. Specter of the Past is the first book in the Hand of Thrawn Duology by Timothy Zahn. )

In the Halo video game series, the "active camouflage" power-up renders the wearer only partially invisible — the visible silhouette of the wearer is likely necessary so that the wearer's retinas can absorb what little light they need to see (though it also exists for game balance issues). Halo is a Science fiction Video game franchise created by Bungie and owned and published by Microsoft Game Studios. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character In the video game Quake, picking up a magic ring turns the player invisible to monsters for thirty seconds. Quake is a First-person shooter Computer game that was released by Id Software on June 22, 1996. In multiplayer deathmatch mode, only the player's eyes are visible, giving his opponents only a small clue to his location. Deathmatch (abbreviated DM) is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many Shooter and Real-time strategy (RTS Computer games The goal Of course, with eyes being visible, light can be absorbed and the player can see.

Invisibility in Mythology

People have attributed invisibility to things that are mythical, things that do not exist or things are of a religious or supernatural nature in order to explain why they are not apparent. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events In the Middle Ages, fern seeds were thought to be invisible since ferns don't have seeds. A fern is any one of a group of about 20000 Species of Plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored They were also said to grant invisibility. [1] In medieval astronomy, the crystal spheres[2] that held up the sun, moon, stars, and planets were invisible. Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study Historically, creatures such as goblins and brownies have also been described as invisible or able to become invisible. A goblin is an evil crabby or Mischievous Creature of Folklore, often described as a grotesquely disfigured or Gnome -like phantom Currently, many entities or phenomena whose existence is disputed, such as ghosts, demons, qi, and auras, are also ascribed invisibility. A ghost is said to be the apparition of a Deceased person frequently similar in appearance to that person and usually encountered in places she or he frequented In traditional Chinese culture, qi (zh [[wikt氣 氣]] Pinyin qì, Wade-Giles ch'i Jyutping In Parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice an aura is a field of subtle luminous radiation surrounding a person or object like the Halo or In religion, gods, goddesses, angels and demons are commonly thought to be invisible, at least part of the time. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos God, as a male Deity, contrasts with female deities or " goddesses " A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition Indeed, the omnipresence attributed to the monotheistic God of Abrahamic religions would seem to require invisibility, since otherwise God would be constantly visible to all people because of inhabiting all places. Omnipresence is the ability to be present in every place at any and/or every time unbounded or universal presence For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity.

Examples in fiction

The idea of being unseen and hence undetectable has fascinated mankind for generations. This concept of invisibility has been explored in many myths, novels, movies and video games, some of them comedies. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device.

• Mythology and folklore
  • In many myths and legends, gods, spirits, fairies, angels, and demons are often invisible or can choose to become invisible at will. See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always The English word " spirit " comes from the Latin " spiritus " (breath A fairy (also fay, fey, fae, faerie; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition
  • The ring of Gyges is described in a story in Plato's The Republic. The Ring of Gyges is a mythical magical artifact mentioned by the philosopher Plato in Book 2 of The Republic Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece The Republic ( Greek: / Politeía, meaning "political system" Latin: Res Publica, meaning "public business" or A peasant finds a ring in the tomb of a dead king which allows him to become invisible at will. Plato has him enter the palace, seduce the queen, and plot to kill the king, arguing that power, such as this, corrupts absolutely.
  • The hero Perseus went equipped with a cap of invisibility to kill Medusa. Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas ( Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας) the Legendary founder In Greek mythology, the Cap of Invisibility ( aidos kyneê in Greek is a mysterious helmet or cap that possesses the ability to turn the wearer invisible In Greek mythology, Medusa ( Greek: Μέδουσα (Médousa "guardian protectress" was a monstrous Chthonic female character gazing upon
  • A magic cloak, made by Alberich the dwarf, granted invisibility to Sigurd. Alberich was a legendary sorcerer who originated in the mythology or epic sagas of the Frankish Merovingian Dynasty of the 5th to 8th century AD and whose DWARF is a widely used standardized Debugging data format. DWARF was originally designed along with ELF, although it is independent of Object file Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga.
  • In German fairy tales, magical caps called tarnkappes are worn by dwarfs. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving The caps can make an entire village of dwarfs invisible.
  • In The Twelve Dancing Princesses, the old soldier is able to follow the princesses by use of an invisibility cloak
  • In The King of the Gold Mountain, the hero can sneak into the home of his treacherous wife by means of a cloak of invisibility
• Modern fiction
  • What Was It? A Mystery (1859) by Fitz James O'Brien
  • The Crystal Man (1881) by Edward Page Mitchell
  • The Damned Thing (1894) by Ambrose Bierce
  • The Horla (1897) by Guy de Maupassant
  • The Invisible Man (1897) by H. G. Wells is a well-known novel about invisibility, later made into a film and several TV series. The Twelve Dancing Princesses or The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes or The Shoes that were Danced to Pieces is a German Fairy tale originally The King of the Gold Mountain is a German Fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in Grimm's Fairy Tales. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Fitz James O'Brien ( December 31 1828 - April 6 1862) was an author and is often considered one of the forerunners of today's Science Fiction Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Edward Page Mitchell (b Bath Maine, March 24, 1852 - d New London Connecticut, 1927 was an American editorial and Short story The Damned Thing is the first episode of the second season of Masters of Horror. Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24 1842 &ndash 1914? was an American Editorialist Journalist, short-story writer and Satirist. " The Horla " (" Le Horla " is an 1887 short horror story written in the style of a journal by French writer Guy de Maupassant Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Guy de Maupassant (gi də mopasɑ̃ (5 August 1850 &ndash 6 July 1893 was a popular 19th-century French Writer and considered one of the fathers of the modern Not to be confused with Invisible Man, a novel written by Ralph Waldo Ellison Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 &ndash 13 August 1946 He was an outspoken socialist and a pacifist, his later works becoming increasingly political
  • The Dunwich Horror (1929) by H. P. Lovecraft
  • One function of the One Ring in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series was to render the user invisible. " The Dunwich Horror" is a Short story by H P Lovecraft. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy The Lord of the Rings is an epic Unfortunately, it had an evil influence with negative effects on the wearer's actions.
  • The Philadelphia Experiment (1984) is a movie about an attempt to make a ship invisible. The Philadelphia Experiment is a 1984 Science fiction film. It was directed by Stewart Raffill and starred Michael Paré, Bobby Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) ^[9]
  • The film Predator and animated television series like Batman Beyond and Max Steel depict a kind of stealth mode that is a partial invisibility where the subject is largely transparent and/or translucent. Predator is a 1987 science fiction, action and Horror film directed by John McTiernan, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger An animated cartoon is a short hand-drawn (or made with computers to look similar to something hand-drawn Film for the cinema, Television or computer Batman Beyond (known as Batman of the Future in Europe, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Max Steel is a Sci-Fi / Action, CGI, Animated series which originally aired on February 25 2000 - June 23 2002 on Kids WB for Season While a concentrated look in optimal lighting conditions can spot it, it still makes the wearer extremely hard to see which eases stealth movement.
  • In comic books, there are superheroes such as the Invisible Woman (who can bend light around herself without distortion) that have the power to become invisible at will as well as magicians like Doctor Strange who have invisibility spells in their possession. A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative Susan Storm Richards (also known as Invisible Girl and later Invisible Woman) is a Fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine Light, or visible light, is Electromagnetic radiation of a Wavelength that is visible to the Human eye (about 400–700 Famous Magicians in fantasy fiction include the following Fairy Tales Myths and Legends Circe -- Greek sorceress Merlin Doctor Strange is a Fictional character, a Comic book sorcerer and Superhero in the.
  • In the Invisible Man TV series, a former thief is given the ability to become invisible thanks to a gland in his brain that secrets a light-bending chemical called quicksilver through his body, the only catch being that prolonged use of the chemical turns him insane unless he receives regular injections. The Invisible Man series debuted in 2000 and starred Vincent Ventresca, Paul Ben-Victor, Eddie Jones, Shannon Kenny and Mike McCafferty
  • In the film Hollow Man (2000), an injection is tested on animals (and eventually, humans) which made the organism invisible, organ by organ. Hollow Man is a 2000 science fiction Thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Kevin Bacon, Elisabeth 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Unfortunately, the serum can only be counteracted by electricity, and the long term effects of invisibility proved serious.
  • In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy" of novels by Douglas Adams, the Somebody Else's Problem field is a humorous concept of a field which makes people believe the object in question is "somebody else's problem" and therefore do not see it. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 &ndash 11 May 2001 was an English author comic Radio dramatist Somebody Else's Problem (also known as Someone else's problem or SEP) is an effect that causes people to ignore matters which are generally important to a group but The concept of the "somebody else's problem field", as it is explained in the book, bases off of a statement to the effect that actual, invariable, invisibility is basically impossible and that the field is merely a way to make something close to being invisible by actually making it hard to notice deliberately.
  • In the video game The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, the "stone mask" item works similarly. is an Action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It causes the wearer to be "as plain and uninteresting as a rock" and thus functionally invisible, causing enemies to ignore their presence. The soldier that gives Link the mask is invisible to the player without the use of the Lens of Truth.
  • In the Star Trek universe, some ships of the Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire, as well as the Federation ship USS Defiant, are equipped with hardware known as cloaking devices that conceal them from most varieties of scans, including visual. Klingons ( Klingon: tlhIngan; Pronunciation /ˈt͡ɬɪŋɑn/ are a warrior race in the fictional Star Trek universe Romulans are an alien species in the Star Trek universe that are related to the Vulcans and are at war or in an uneasy truce with the United Federation of The United Federation of Planets, (also known as the "The Federation" or UFP) is a fictional interplanetary state depicted in the Star Trek The USS Defiant (NX-74205 is a fictional Starship in the television series Star Trek Deep Space Nine (DS9 and the Feature film Cloak of invisibility A cloaking device is an advanced Stealth technology that causes an object such as a spaceship or individual to be partially or wholly
  • Wonder Woman flys around in an invisible airplane, which also makes her invisible while she is in the vehicle.
  • The popular Japanese sci-fi animation film Ghost in the Shell (1995) as well as its TV series Ghost in the Shell:Stand Alone Complex (2002) deals with invisibility of cyborg bodies using thermoptics. is a Japanese Cyberpunk Manga created by Masamune Shirow, and first published in 1989 in Young This is one of many cases of invisibility found in anime.
  • In the popular 1998 video game StarCraft, units known as Dark Templar are able to bend light around themselves using psionic energies, effectively rendering themselves invisible as extremely effective stealth units, Observers also have the same ability. StarCraft is a Military science fiction Real-time strategy Video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Psionics is the study and/or practice of using the mind to induce paranormal phenomena Terran Ghosts and Wraiths carry cloaking devices, which drain energy. Also protoss Arbiters produce an invisibility field around them that makes every ally unit within the field invisible, but not the arbiter itself nor other arbiters. Invisible units can´t be attacked but paying attention you can see a slight transparent siluete.
  • In the Harry Potter series, an Invisiblity cloak allows the wearer to be literally invisible. Harry Potter is a series of seven Fantasy novels written by British author J In the Fictional Harry Potter series many magical objects exist for the use of the characters. However, they must cover themselves in order for the cloak to take effect.
  • In Mystery Men, one of the characters boasts the ability to turn invisible so long as he is naked and no one is looking at him. Mystery Men is a 1999 Comedy film directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher Under this idea, he defeats Cassanova Frankenstein's defenses, ultimately leading to the group's final victory.
  • In the new TV series Heroes, one of the secondary characters, Claude, possesses the power of invisibility, keeping it permanently on to escape detection by the Company. Heroes is an American Science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring, which premiered on NBC on September This is an alphabetical list of characters with special abilities appearing in the television series Heroes as well as the ''Heroes'' graphic novels.
  • The Cheshire Cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland can turn invisible and leave certain parts of himself visible, most notably his smile. The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat appearing in Lewis Carroll 's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865 is a novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known under the Pseudonym Lewis This article is about the facial expression For the typographical symbol see Smiley.
  • In the book Things Not Seen, a boy named Bobby is rendered invisible when radiation causes his electric blanket to malfunction. Things Not Seen is a 2001 Science fiction book written by Andrew Clements in which a teenage boy Bobby suddenly turns invisible
  • In the popular video game series, Metal Gear Solid, there exists a device which the user can wear that allows light to become distorted around the user and, hence, rendering him invisible. is a stealth-action Video game directed by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published Such a device is called the Stealth Camoflauge and plays a mediocre role in the story but can be obtained via completing the game after fulfilling certain parameters. Visually, it makes a distorted image of the background so that the player can see his character while making the character, himself, completely invisible to the Non Playable Characters.
  • In the book Masters of Solitude by Marvin Kaye and Parke Godwin there is a Girdle of Solitude which, when worn, renders the wearer invisible. Marvin Kaye is an American mystery, Fantasy, Science fiction, and horror author and editor Parke Godwin ( 28 January 1929 -) is an American writer known for his lyrical yet precise prose style and sardonic humor There is an associated helmet with goggles without which the wearer is blind while invisible.
  • In the video game Xenosaga, the character Ziggurat 8 (aka. --> TC --> is primarily a series of Science fiction A character/reference from the Xenosaga series Ziggurat 8, commonly called by MOMO and "Ziggy") has the ability to become invisible, but he rarely uses it due to its tendency to malfunction at inopportune moments.
  • In the video game Oddworld: Abe's Oddyssey the main character can become totally invisible even to the player by a bug in the PlayStation version in the first level by triangle jumping first on a mine, then through an electric forcefield. The only way as to "see" him is to use his psychic powers. However, the slightest fall will kill him.
  • In the manga Translucent, a strange disease renders it's victims partially invisible (translucent), with no other side effects. ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly is a Japanese Seinen Manga series written by Kazuhiro Okamoto and serialized in Comic Flapper. Emotions affect the partial invisibility, with the ever present danger of slipping into permanent complete invisibility as a complication.
  • In the computer game Crysis the player's character wears a nanosuit which has the ability to render the player invisible to enemies for a short time. CRYSIS is an acronym for CRY ogenic S tockholm I on S ource CRYSIS is an Ion source of EBIS type and is located in Stockholm
  • In the television show Danny Phantom the main character and other ghosts in the series can make themselves, objects, and other people invisible. Danny Phantom was an American animated television show created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios
  • In the television show Spongebob Spongebob and Patrick purchase an invisibility can that when sprayed turns everything it touches invisible. SpongeBob SquarePants is the main character of the Fictional Nickelodeon Animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.
  • The Japanese made for TV drama Invisible Girl Ea's titular character, Ea, is turned invisible before the show begins, and shifts uncontrollably between visible and invisible (with a emphasis on invisibility) throughout. Various things cause her invisibility to malfunction, both when it is on and off, including electricity, increased heartbeat, being touched or touching things, and bright flashes of light. Noteworthy due to the excessive nudity in the show -- Ea's invisibility powers malfunction whenever she touches clothing, preventing her from getting dressed. A major part of the show's plot is trying to undo Ea's invisibility powers so she can live a normal life.
  • The Mipedian tribe in Perim in Chaotic consists of reptiloids with the ability to turn invisible. Chaotic is a Danish Trading card game that expanded to an Online game in America and is also the name of the television program on 4Kids Reptilian humanoids are a common motif in Mythology, Folklore, Science fiction, Ufology, and contemporary Conspiracy theories
  • In the Team Fortress 2, a multiplayer video game, the Spy class can use his cloaking device to activate invisibility for short period of time.
  • (Command & Conquer series) Nod stealth tanks, commandos, upgraded Avatar Mechs and some Black Hand soldiers use a cloaking device, the Lazarus Shield. Command & Conquer (often abbreviated as C&C or CNC) is a Video game franchise, mostly of the The Brotherhood of Nod, often referred to simply as Nod or The Brotherhood, is a Fictional faction which is featured Word origin and usage The term "mecha" is derived from the Japanese abbreviation for the English word " mechanical " This shield had a slight shimmer in the shape of a man or steath tank in Renegade, due to "imperfections. " It was probably so one could not simply go invisible and destroy a base unhindered. It is a passive ability, and will only turn off when firing. Scrin Assimilator engineer analogs are invisible when stationary. The Scrin are a fictional extra-terrestrial race of intelligent beings in the Command & Conquer universe The Disruption Tower, stealth generator, and mobile stealth generator cloak wide areas of terrain. Turrets, Pitbulls, Attack bikes, and standard infantrymen or buzzers can detect invisible units/structures. Col. Burton, Jarmen Kell, and Black Lotus (Generals hero characters) are invisible only when not attacking, bombing, or uploading viruses/hacking. American stealth fighters are invisible only when not attacking.
  • In Act of War: Direct Action and High Treason, all sides use invisibility to some degree. Act of War Direct Action ( Abbreviated as AOWDA is a Real-time strategy game developed by Eugen Systems and published by Atari Inc TFT Comanche helicopters and GlobalHawk spy planes come standard with stealth capabilities. Transport rotorcraft can be upgraded to "stealth capability", and are invisible until attack or loading. United States Marine Corps. use stealth bombers. The Consortium has a Stealth Armor Lab, which fields Akula stealth MBT's, Fennek stealth scout cars, and Optic Camo Soldiers. All invisible units remain so until attacking, or in range of milimetric radar carrying units.
  • The titular character in HG Wells novel, The Invisible Man, takes a chemical drug that causes his body to become the same refractive index as air. When he tested it on his pet cat, the only thing not affected was those little mirror-like cells in the back of it's eyes.
• In the Halo series the Covenant soldiers known as Elites have a Invisibility cloak on their armor.

See also

• Qualitative invisibility
• Concealment
• Cloaking device
• Active camouflage
• Invisibility in fiction
• Somebody Else's Problem

External links

• Shoot-Through, Invisible, Self-Healing Shields: Darpa Goal
• Light Fantastic: Flirting With Invisibility
• Invisibility in the real world Interesting picture of a test tube's bottom half invisible in cooking oil. In CAD /CAM Quantitative Invisibility (QI is the number of solid bodies obscuring a point in space as projected onto a plane (called hidden line removal used by the Vector Cloak of invisibility A cloaking device is an advanced Stealth technology that causes an object such as a spaceship or individual to be partially or wholly Active camouflage or adaptive camouflage, is a group of Camouflage technologies which allow an object to blend into its surroundings by use of panels or coatings capable Invisibility in fiction is a common plot device found in both the Science fiction and Fantasy genres Somebody Else's Problem (also known as Someone else's problem or SEP) is an effect that causes people to ignore matters which are generally important to a group but
• Info on "stealth suit"
• Metamaterial Technology for Invisibility
• Radar Invisibility
• Some examples
• CNN article on an "actual" invisibility suit
  • Note: the picture was taken by a special camera that displays images behind the wearer of the suit. The suit itself does not render invisibility. In essence, the suit functions as a bluescreen onto which the image behind the suit can be displayed through camera.
• Plasmonic invisibility effect Plasmons are electron configurations on a metallic surface that resonate with a specific frequency or photon wavelength of light. This effect has so far been observed only in gold foil perforated with holes smaller than the photons. The oversize photons pass through the foil anyway (reportedly with amplification), so a quantum-tunneling phenomenon may be associated with the light wave trapping.
  • A monochromatic LED flashlight shined on a plasmonicly resonant surface would not allow that specific color of light to scatter back toward the light source. Plasmons act analogously to wave trap circuits familiar to builders of amateur radio equipment, except plasmons measure in Ångstrom-unit sizes. An ångström or angstrom (symbol Å) (ˈɔːŋstrəm Swedish: ˈɔ̀ŋstrœm is an internationally recognized non- SI unit of length equal
• Theoretical method of scattering light (Nature. com subscription) that could make objects "invisible" to certain light frequencies. This is the source of the Livescience. com story on plasmons (above).
  • Unfortunately, this could not be used to hide anything but a microscopic object from visible light because the object has to be either the same size as the wavelength of light from which it is hidden, or only somewhat larger.
• Brief piece on why visible light is visible
• Says how an invisibility cloak works
• Scientists Aim to Duplicate Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak
• Reuters about Ulf Leonhart bending light to flow around an object, making it appear invisible

References