Science is one of our favorite subjects here at Open Educators. Because it is constantly making headlines for the noteworthy discoveries that scientists are making, it’s a topic that all of us hear about on an almost-daily basis.

While many people have a favorite scientific category of interest – such as weather and earth sciences, space exploration, or medicine – there are a few that seem to pique the interest of everyone. We have noticed that one of these subjects seems to be futuristic scientific advancements – and today, we have a fascinating story for fans of this genre.

According to this article from the Washington Post, researchers have made some serious progress in cloaking 3-D objects. Cloaking is the term used to describe making something essentially invisible to the naked eye, and it is a technology scientists have been working to achieve for many years. If you’re a sci-fi fan, you’re probably no stranger to the idea of cloaking devices thanks to franchises like Star Trek and Harry Potter.

The theory behind creating a successful cloaking tool – including a cape or other garment, as most fans of the idea have imagined for it – is essentially creating the ultimate optical illusion. Simply put, our eyes are able to see things because of light: Light reflects off of objects and bounces into our eyes, enabling us to view and recognize everything from people to landscapes. The science behind cloaking involves finding methods of manipulating the eye’s ability to process the light reflecting off of an object.

Although the technology has only thus far been tested on minuscule items, the next step will be to test it out on larger objects of varying shapes, colors and dimensions. While it’s a fascinating advancement to most anyone who reads about it, groups such as the United States military are likely eagerly anticipating the continued development of cloaking as an invaluable asset to troops. It may still be several years before an actual invisibility cloak exists, but scientists are now closer than ever before to creating one.