Understanding the Science of Invisibility

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The transparency of an object is determined by its attenuation coefficient, which measures how strongly light dissipates in the material. A lower attenuation coefficient makes an object more transparent. However, reflection can make an object visible at certain angles. Refraction can also affect the visibility of a transparent object by changing the trajectory of light. For an ordinary material to be invisible, it would need to have a close to zero attenuation coefficient, no refraction, and the same refractive index as air. In relation to wig semantics, transparent wigs are less invisible compared to HD wigs, which have higher quality and thinner lace, resulting in less attenuation. Scotch tape offers both transparent and invisible tape, with the latter blending into paper better and allowing writing on it. Transparency in academia is another topic worth discussing.

Invisibility cloaks. Transparent frogs. Stealth bombers. Gorilla mischief. Theoretical optical physicist and Invisible Photologist Dr. Greg Gbur joins Alie to chat about light, illusions, secret technology, science fiction inspiration, terrible camouflage, great movies, historical mishaps, and even a few great household life hacks – and why you should go read a book on your porch. Perhaps his book, Invisibility: The History and Science of How Not To Be Seen.

Visit Dr. Greg Gbur’s blogs, Skulls in the Stars and Science Chamber of Horrors, and follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Instagram and TikTok

Buy Dr. Gbur’s book, Invisibility: The History and Science of How Not To Be Seen, on Bookshop.org or Amazon

His 2019 book, Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics, is also available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

A donation went to Doctors Without Borders