Dive into the intriguing world of camouflage, from its origins in nature to military applications. Discover how patterns and colors evolved through historical context and reflect national identity. Learn about the latest advancements, like a cloak that renders soldiers invisible, and explore thermal camouflage technology's innovative capabilities. Personal accounts shed light on the need for adaptability in modern warfare, highlighting the ongoing arms race between concealment and detection in an ever-evolving battlefield.
36:39
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Field Test And Listener's Question
Alex hides in a ghillie suit in a Prague park to test concealment and describe camouflage in action.
Paul from Kampala explains his curiosity about military greens and urban use after seeing soldiers in cities.
insights INSIGHT
Camouflage Emerged With Long-Range Warfare
Historically armies sought visibility for identification and prestige rather than concealment.
Concealment became important only after firearms enabled long-distance fighting.
insights INSIGHT
Patterns Spread But Caused New Problems
Modern patterned camouflage (green/brown blobs) spread after early 20th-century innovations like Italian Telo Mimatico.
Widespread camouflage created identification problems between friend and foe.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Camouflage isn't just for chameleons! Military forces around the world deck their soldiers out in those distinctive green and brown uniforms, to give them the best chance of staying safe, and remaining undetected. But how do they work? Why do they look so different from country to country? And why do you still see soldiers wearing it in the city, when it can't possibly work as camouflage?
These are the questions in the mind of Crowdscience listener Paul, in Uganda. In his home of Kampala he often sees soldiers on patrol. As a botanist, he's fascinated by the nature-inspired designs, and he wants to know how they came to be. So Alex Lathbridge sets off to find out.
At Camolab at the University of Bristol, Laszlo Talas talks Alex through the history of battle-dress. There have been some extraordinary designs over the years, some of them quite beautiful in their way, and many with hidden easter eggs printed into the design!
In a patch of forest on the outskirts of Prague, Alex gets to try some of the latest gear out for himself. Fully kitted out in ghillie suit, camouflage chaps, face mask and goggles, he tries to disappear into tue background. With the help of 4M Tactical, the company who manufacture a cloak currently in use in Ukraine. It has the power to make you invisible, not just in the visible spectrum, but in the infrared too. With high tech sensors and infrared cameras now a staple of the modern battlefield, clothes like this are becoming essential.
Not all camouflage technology belongs to the military. Futuristic clothing company Vollebak in London are using 'the fabrics of the future' to design high tech streetwear for savvy 21st century urban warriors. Founder Steve Tindall shows Alex their prototype Thermal Camo Jacket, which uses hundreds of layers of graphene to give the illusion of heat, or cold. Steve says that hiding in plain sight is less about concealing yourself from human eyes, and more about avoiding the pervasive sensors and constant surveillance that are increasingly a feature of urban living.
Meanwhile in Sweden, they're taking the inspiration from chameleons more literally. Hans Karis, deputy research director of the Swedish defence institute FOI, introduces Alex to their Adaptive Camouflage, interwoven with a network of tiny coloured LEDs to change colour at will. It's not on the market yet, but perhaps chameleon soldiers will be a thing of the future.
Presented by Alex Lathbridge
Produced by Emily Knight
CrowdScience