I've researched many sites on the internet discussing this subject and I've noticed many similarities, but also many distinctions in the information I found. The problem I ran into, however, was that no one site appeared to include all the information I found from the others, so this then is my attempt to compile what I've found.

The basic theory of invisibility stems from early studies in microwave shielding and electromagnetics. The effect of those experiments have allowed many advances in radiation protection and the like. The waves found within the light spectrum are significantly smaller than those of radio and electromagnetic waves, so the theory was that to 'shield' an object from the light spectrum, therefore preventing it from reflecting or scattering light particles, the technology itself would have to be physically smaller as well. This was impossible until the great sweep of nanotechnology.

One of the earliest designs of invisibility cloaking merely recorded the images behind the given object while simultaneously presenting the image onto the opposite side. This could be put to many utilitarian uses, such as 'invisible' floors in the cockpit of a plane to allow the pilots to see what is passing underneath. There has appeared to be some difficulty, though, in that only smaller objects have been successfully cloaked in this way. Also, the objects thus manipulated would only be transparent from one given angle, inhibiting its effectiveness as a military application.

Another design has also been theorized and attempted, and stands out as yet another testament to how quickly science can catch up to science fiction. With the use certain metals it is possible to bend light around an object, much like the concept behind Wonder Woman's power and a certain young wizard's cloak. Some even seem to suggest the potential of their actually absorbing the light, but only with objects that are already nearly microscopic to begin with. Plasmons, described as 'tiny excitations on the surfaces of some metals', allow the light to bend much like it does in a mirage or on the surface on water, because light particles will always seek out the quickest path from A to B with no necessary inclination toward moving in a straight line. This kind of technology would render the object invisible from any angle, but only in certain colors of light as the material must be matched to a specific wavelength, and it would also trap the enclosed object in utter darkness. Film's use of blue screening for the purposes of transposing backgrounds and other images is a good current example of this sort of technology.

Well, that's the basis of what I found. The subject is almost too big to cover in such a small format, but I hope the information was helpful.

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