Scientist have developed a space-time cloak

[UnderdogDJLSW]

I can't even pretend that I can understand how this is done even after reading the article. lol

Light Years - CNN.com Blogs

[jimsmegos]

Sounds like a perfect plot device for the 60's Batman show.

[Brazoo]

These are the two keys here:

"We’re not changing time," he said. "What we’re really changing is a light beam."

and:

"I can't rule it out, but it represents a level of sophistication that we cannot approach with current technology."

Basically, the idea that you can theoretically cloak a beam of light in an experimental setting isn't the same as making a space/time cloak. To me, that's just attention grabbing headline fun - but it is cool, though.

[torgospizza]

Here they said it would take a machine 18,600 miles long to mask an event lasting a second. Cool concept, though--surely there's a Philip K. Dick short story in there somewhere.

[Brazoo]

The article came from Nature: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...ture10695.html

Notice how on Nature the headline is "Demonstration of temporal cloaking", but by the time it gets to CNN it's sensationalized into "'Hole in space-time' created by scientists"? This is what drives me crazy about mainstream science reporting.

[torgospizza]

Notice how on Nature the headline is "Demonstration of temporal cloaking", but by the time it gets to CNN it's sensationalized into "'Hole in space-time' created by scientists"? This is what drives me crazy about mainstream science reporting.

I can't find the original article that the one I posted was linked from, but I'm pretty sure it it implied that entire events could now be erased from history. Apparently, people don't need to be able to read in order to write.

[jwyblejr]

^Schools have been erasing history from books for years without any of these gizmos.

[Figuremod73]

I cant comprehend any of it

[Duncan]

It sounds like they're describing Frogger, where cars are the beams of light. The subject (frog) tries to squeeze between them undetected. Interesting idea, but it'll be a long time before it's practical due to the speed of light. First, they need to figure how to manipulate the speed of light.

[torgospizza]

It sounds like they're describing Frogger, where cars are the beams of light. The subject (frog) tries to squeeze between them undetected. Interesting idea, but it'll be a long time before it's practical due to the speed of light. First, they need to figure how to manipulate the speed of light.

They've already done it 13 years ago. Check it out here.

That Frogger analogy was pretty good, BTW.

[HardyGirl]

When they get it perfected, I want one for Christmas so I go back to the 70s.

[Duncan]

They've already done it 13 years ago. Check it out here.

That Frogger analogy was pretty good, BTW.

Huh. That's interesting.

I was thinking more in terms of a practical means. I just Googled "slow photon," and got a neat hit in Wiki:

Wikimedia Error

Looks like IBM is finding applications for it.

[Adam West]

I love the way scientists try to explain things without using the "SCIENTIFIC METHOD"

[Brazoo]

As far as I understand it - general relativity allows for light to move slower, just not faster. For example, the "C" in E=MC2 is for the speed of light in a vacuum, which is a constant.