The physics of invisibility [electronic resource] : a story of light and deception / Martin Beech.
Beech, Martin, 1959-
2012
QC355.3 .B44 2012eb
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Title The physics of invisibility [electronic resource] : a story of light and deception / Martin Beech.
Author Beech, Martin, 1959-
ISBN 9781461406167 (electronic bk.)
9781461406150
Imprint New York : Springer, 2012.
Language English
Description 1 online resource (xvii, 206 p.) : ill. (some col.)
Call Number QC355.3 .B44 2012eb
Summary "Arthur C. Clarke famously wrote that, 'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' These words most certainly ring true with respect to invisibility cloaking devices. At work is the magic of science, of course. The technology to make an object simply disappear from view is now a reality. There is both great fear and great desire in the thought of invisibility. Indeed, for thousands of years, authors have grappled with the idea. Power, devilry, secrecy, ethical dilemma, and moral corruption - invisibility has it all. And yet, our waking world is full of familiar invisible phenomena. Electricity flowing along a metal wire, the gravity that keeps us grounded, the air we breathe, the bacteria and viruses that make us ill, the X-rays that reveal our broken bones - all are invisible to our eyes. They surround and envelop us, and we don't give them a second thought. Nature long ago learned how to play tricks with light rays, enriching the world with rainbows, mirages, and animal camouflage. The new physics of invisibility simply aims to take these tricks of nature a few steps further. Indeed, by learning what light is and how it interacts with matter, physicists have begun to take control of light - with metamaterials, which, man made, can be precisely melded, warped, twisted, transformed, and even time-edited. In this book the ancient and modern story of light and invisibility is revealed, from early Greek speculations to the remarkable works of James Clerk Maxwell. The new and burgeoning field of transformation optics is also explored, and the story behind the development of the first fully functional invisibility cloak is charted"--P. [4] of cover.
Bibliography, etc. Note Includes bibliographical references and index.
Access Note Access limited to authorized users.
Source of Description Description based on print version record.
Available in Other Form Physics of invisibility.
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Of all things visible and invisible
A very brief history of light
Mirror tricks, the art of cloaking and seeing the impossible
Maxwell's marvelous waves
The metamaterial revolution
Afterword
Appendix.

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