Scientists Develop Thermal Camouflage That Can Dupe Infrared Cameras (cosmosmagazine.com)

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Scientists Develop Thermal Camouflage That Can Dupe Infrared Cameras (cosmosmagazine.com)

Posted by BeauHD on Wednesday June 27, 2018 @10:00PM from the master-of-disguises dept.

Writing in the journal Nano Letters, scientists from Turkey, the U.S. and U.K. describe a material that acts as thermal camouflage. Cosmos reports: Coskun Kocabas and colleagues created a film comprising multiple ultra-thin layers of graphene and a bottom layer of gold, with non-volatile ionic liquid in between them. When a small current is applied, the ions move up into the graphene layer, cutting down the infrared radiation the surface would normally emit. Because it's thin, light and flexible the film can be applied to any number of surfaces, including clothing. Tests have successfully camouflaged a hand owned by a subject wearing a covering of the material, and others have shown it to be indistinguishable from its surroundings in a variety of ambient temperatures.

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Where does it go? by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-27 22:21 · Score: 2, Insightful

You radiate IR for some very good reason. If you are wearing a suit of this stuff I imagine you won't be wearing it a long time.
1. Re:Where does it go? by Meneth · 2018-06-27 22:27 · Score: 1
  
  The article doesn't say, but I suspect the material changes the frequency of the emitted radiation, not the effect. So if the frequency goes down, the amount would have to go up.
2. Re:Where does it go? by Smidge204 · 2018-06-27 22:31 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Nah, it increases the wavelength. You become invisible to thermal imaging cameras but you glow like a lightbulb. ...the technology isn't quite perfected yet.
  =Smidge=
3. Re:Where does it go? by sysstemlord · 2018-06-27 23:09 · Score: 1
  
  In this case, it decreases the wavelength, or increases the frequency.
4. Re:Where does it go? by jellomizer · 2018-06-28 00:28 · Score: 1
  
  Like decreasing the wavelength into the microwave? Or you become a radio broadcast? Boost it up so you are emitting Gamma Rays.
  To the main point, where does that energy go? Perhaps it will take the body heat and turn it into electricity to power your phones.
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
5. Re:Where does it go? by AHuxley · 2018-06-28 02:11 · Score: 2
  
  The air around the user as not a hot spot of a heated human on the move/standing still that most computer guided detectors expect to find.
  When the devices are set to scan vast areas, that is human shape has to be expected and well documented. So the human using the detection is not needed to respond to every slight change in heat over hours and hours.
  That sets a detection level to an expected "hot" human, moving, not moving, trying to hide, using a blanket. Everything that is expected and calculated for.
  Move the heat is a different way around the human, and not in the shape of human and the computer supported detection system might just not alert.
  The "AI' only knows about all the hot humans it has seen. Not very different shapes that are not as hot as human.
  The computer system human use have to have a hot human walking, running, sitting to show up. The heat is still moving, just not in the big bight look at me pattern expected over the past decade.
  
  --
  Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
6. Re:Where does it go? by careysub · 2018-06-28 02:12 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  The summary and the article abstract do no make this clear but what that this device does is change the emissivity of the surface in the thermal IR band, which is around 10 microns. This means it simply alters the thermal emission - it makes is "white" or "black" (or shades of grey) in the IR band, which is far below normal optical bands, to match whatever the emission of the background is.
  The optical band appearance of an object tells you nothing about its thermal IR band appearance. Two common materials that are pitch black in the thermal IR band: pure water and regular glass. Clean polished metal surfaces are reflective in both, but if it was could covered with an IR band black paint, and you would be none the wiser visually.
  What effect would it have on body temperature regulation? Thermal radiation is only one of three ways your body disposes of metabolic heat under normal circumstances - the other two are convection and evaporation (which also works with convection but is a separate mechanism). The first two (radiation, convection) work both ways - you can gain heat, not lose it in a hot environment. There is also conduction but you have to be in physical contact with a surface for this to happen, so it is not the usual case for a camouflaged soldier unless wading (it is also in principle a two way process).
  So modulating thermal emission changes only one of three (or four) ways of controlling core temperatures, requiring the others to take up the slack.The contribution of thermal emission to body temperature regulation varies with the environmental temperature. At about 33 C it is zero, since this is skin temperature. At higher environment temperatures you can only gain heat this way, not lose it - so being IR white is better. At low temperatures you can lose a lot, and if this bad being IR white is again helpful. But if you need to lose heat to keep from overheating, and the environment is below body temperature then being IR black is good. In general thermal radiation is the least important of the three (or four) processes, becoming dominant only when its cold and you will be snug in your parka anyway.
  Is this is a new development, or a same old-same old story with a tweak?
  This is looks like a genuine breakthrough of an amazingly cyberpunky kind, the sort of thing science fiction has been famous for "predicting" before it became available. The essential point is that thermal IR emissions are from the true surface of the material. You can't have a "layer of something" on top of the material with the variable emissivity, because then that would be the surface doing the emitting. You must genuinely change the surface properties with something behind the surface. This is a genuine IR optical "paint" that changes color electronically!
  And the fact that it uses graphene, nanotubes, and ionic liquids combines buzz-word tech to the nth degree!
  You can get the article using Sci-hub.
  
  --
  Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
7. Re:Where does it go? by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 02:52 · Score: 0
  
  Trolling? Wavelength and frequency are reciprocals. Decreasing the wavelength makes a higher frequency. Microwaves are shorter than radio, longer than infrared, and much much longer than gamma.
8. Re:Where does it go? by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 02:57 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, we need a suit that can project different IR images to actually cool us. One second, we look like a pack of dogs, then melt into a big rock, then diffuse into a murder of crows...
9. Re:Where does it go? by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 03:41 · Score: 0
  
  or a smack of jellyfish...
10. Re:Where does it go? by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 04:42 · Score: 1
  
  The summary and the article abstract do no make this clear but what that this device does is change the emissivity of the surface in the thermal IR band, which is around 10 microns. This means it simply alters the thermal emission - it makes is "white" or "black" (or shades of grey) in the IR band, which is far below normal optical bands, to match whatever the emission of the background is.
  Long Wave is in the 8-12 um range, but typically between the 8-10. Mid Wave is in the 3-5 range. Both would be thermal, but it's more often a concern for long wave because it does not need to be actively cooled right now.
11. Re:Where does it go? by RespekMyAthorati · 2018-06-30 06:50 · Score: 1
  
  I suppose if you were wearing a radiator on your head that
  funnelled the IR straight up, that might make you a tad less visible.
  Of course, that wouldn't work if you were short.
*switchable* camouflage is the novelty by DrYak · 2018-06-27 22:29 · Score: 5, Interesting

The novelty is that this camouflage is switchable. It can be turned on and off.
Otherwise, IR camouflage has been use for quite a long time in the military. (Basically, in an over simplified manner, it boils down to very well insulating clothes). In most country, most of the "green" stuff military wear is well isolated and doesn't radiate much heat.
Even the emergency bandage comes with an extra IR-isolating (also painted green) over-laying band that can mask part of the IR radiation that the underlying wound and bloodied wound derssing could be giving of.
But all this is static (basically, well isolating cloths).
TFA's camo is switchable (between isolation and transmission).
Might have also some non-strategic application (sport clothes to adapt to external temperature ?)

--
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
1. Re:*switchable* camouflage is the novelty by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-27 23:32 · Score: 0
  
  Can't wait for winter jackets where you can control their warmth via a cellphone :-)
Thick clothes by DrYak · 2018-06-27 22:35 · Score: 5, Informative

You radiate IR for some very good reason.
Yup, you're losing thermal energy.
For years, "thermal camo" has basically boiled down to "a layer of very well insulating clothes" (and face paint, and gloves).
The thing is, in a very hot climate, wearing insulating clothes will make you feel hot.
You would need to undress a bit, which might not be practical in every situation.

If you are wearing a suit of this stuff I imagine you won't be wearing it a long time.
The whole point of this tech is that it's switchable between isolating and radiating mode.
At a single button you can basically transform it from a wool sweater to sport T-shirt and back, without need to remove any layer of clothes (unlike classical thermo camo).
You only turn it on where thermal camouflaging is necessary, instead of wearing an isolating layer for the whole time.

--
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
1. Re:Thick clothes by Joce640k · 2018-06-27 23:51 · Score: 1
  
  The whole point of this tech is that it's switchable between isolating and radiating mode.
  At a single button you can basically transform it....
  This will be perfect for burglars trying to get past PIR sensors.
  (and freedom-protecting government agents, obviously)
  
  --
  No sig today...
2. Re:Thick clothes by arglebargle_xiv · 2018-06-27 23:53 · Score: 1
  
  The thing is, in a very hot climate, wearing insulating clothes will make you feel hot. You would need to undress a bit, which might not be practical in every situation.
  The Israeli army have got that sorted.
  (Alternative link in case of 404).
3. Re:Thick clothes by bluefoxlucid · 2018-06-28 00:52 · Score: 1
  
  PIR sensors don't look for absolute IR; they look for a change in IR image. If you move, it sees you.
  
  --
  Support my political activism on Patreon.
4. Re:Thick clothes by arth1 · 2018-06-28 01:16 · Score: 2
  
  The thing is, in a very hot climate, wearing insulating clothes will make you feel hot.
  No, this is only the case for mildly hot climates. In very hot climates, people generally dress in several layers of insulating clothing to keep the heat out.
  
  You would need to undress a bit, which might not be practical in every situation.
  Ask a Bedouin whether undressing in the heat of the desert is smart.
5. Re:Thick clothes by javaman235 · 2018-06-28 01:17 · Score: 1
  
  Why is it so easy to make a hot electric blanket, but not a cold one? Something to do with entropy?
  
  --
  -The art of programming is the pursuit of absolute simplicity.
6. Re:Thick clothes by drinkypoo · 2018-06-28 01:25 · Score: 1
  
  In very hot climates, people generally dress in several layers of insulating clothing to keep the heat out.
  They actually dress in multiple layers of loose fabric to keep the sun off, while still letting the heat out. And they make the women wear black while they wear white, because you can see through sweaty, light-colored clothing and better to cook them than to let someone see the outline of their tits.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
7. Re:Thick clothes by gnick · 2018-06-28 01:35 · Score: 2
  
  Ask a Bedouin whether undressing in the heat of the desert is smart.
  Arrakis can be hostile without your stillsuit.
  
  --
  He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
8. Re:Thick clothes by arth1 · 2018-06-28 01:46 · Score: 2
  
  I'm disappointed, I thought better of you.
  Plenty of desert dwellers have women who wear non-black clothing, often quite colourful. And men who wear black.
  It's when you start adding religion (spit!) into the mix that the utility of layered clothing takes back seat to norms and oppression. But when there's no religious concern, desert people still dress in many layers to keep the heat out. When wearing many layers of clothing, the albedo becomes less important, and the colour is of their own choosing.
9. Re:Thick clothes by MightyYar · 2018-06-28 01:56 · Score: 1
  
  If your typical burglar has this technology, they would probably have pawned it long before they started breaking into homes.
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
10. Re:Thick clothes by drinkypoo · 2018-06-28 01:57 · Score: 1
  
  I'm disappointed, I thought better of you.
  Right back at you.
  
  Plenty of desert dwellers have women who wear non-black clothing, often quite colourful. And men who wear black.
  Men who wear black are drastically in the minority.
  So are desert-dwelling cultures that wear a lot of cloth and also don't oppress women, by population.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
11. Re:Thick clothes by MightyYar · 2018-06-28 02:13 · Score: 1
  
  This seems like a throwaway comment but it actually has me thinking. Exciting things hotter than ambient is very easy, as almost any energy input gets converted to heat. You can jiggle something physically or excite it with electromagnetism and it will get excited and slowly lose energy until it returns to ambient. Getting something to cool down requires creating moving energy from one place to another. It's not as "easy" technology-wise but actually it can be more efficient. So an electric blanket that warms via heat pump can be made a lot more efficient than an electric blanket that just pumps electricity into resistive heaters, but that blanket will be very complicated. Entropy plays a role in both a cooler-than-surroundings object and a hotter-than-surroundings object, so I'm not sure if that is the culprit here - the energy used is similar to cool 10 degrees or to warm 10 degrees.
  So I think it just comes down to technology - in the absence of a tool of some sort, any activity will generate heat... that's the default. Once you start using technology, cooling and heating are the same problem (moving heat around) and it doesn't really matter. In other words, there are actually two problem sets here, and cooling is in one but not the other. An electric blanket using resistive heaters is not in the same problem set as an electric cooling blanket - that's a different class of problem that includes an electric heating blanket using a heat pump.
  This is just me talking out my ass over coffee, so don't be too harsh :)
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
12. Re:Thick clothes by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 04:42 · Score: 0
  
  You would need to undress a bit, which might not be practical in every situation.
  Thus the real reason for women in combat is revealed.
13. Re:Thick clothes by Joce640k · 2018-06-28 08:04 · Score: 1
  
  If the whole room is at ambient temperature you can simply hold up a sheet and walk past one.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
  A suit made of this would do the same thing.
  The only time it would fail is if there was something hot in the room and you walked in front of it.
  
  --
  No sig today...
14. Re:Thick clothes by bluefoxlucid · 2018-06-28 09:30 · Score: 1
  
  True. My rooms are usually not ambient due to air circulation, electronic gyzmos, and coupled walls.
  
  --
  Support my political activism on Patreon.
15. Re:Thick clothes by godel_56 · 2018-06-28 10:00 · Score: 1
  
  The thing is, in a very hot climate, wearing insulating clothes will make you feel hot.
  No, this is only the case for mildly hot climates. In very hot climates, people generally dress in several layers of insulating clothing to keep the heat out.
  Ask a Bedouin whether undressing in the heat of the desert is smart.
  The desert environment combines very hot temperatures with very low humidity, so the evaporation of sweat has a profound cooling effect. The air inside their robes is substantially cooler than the air outside. This tactic will NOT work in a climate with high heat and high humidity. Try wearing Bedouin robes in the amazon jungle and see how long you last.
16. Re:Thick clothes by arth1 · 2018-06-28 11:43 · Score: 1
  
  The desert environment combines very hot temperatures with very low humidity, so the evaporation of sweat has a profound cooling effect. The air inside their robes is substantially cooler than the air outside. This tactic will NOT work in a climate with high heat and high humidity. Try wearing Bedouin robes in the amazon jungle and see how long you last.
  True. I also suspect that risk of snagging is much higher in rain forests than in deserts, making large robes and loose clothing less functional.
  But if it's just heat and not humidity (or branches or norms), I'd layer with as much air as possible between me and the environment. And a hat, even when the sun isn't hitting me.
"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-27 22:36 · Score: 0

I don't know how to classify this one... maybe it falls into the "WTF English" category?
1. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-27 23:35 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, I know. Who the hell is rich enough to own a hand? I've been renting my hands but I'm saving up to be able to afford to buy a nice set of used hands by next year.
2. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by The+Fat+Bastard · 2018-06-28 00:12 · Score: 1
  
  Ex-military personnel who lost a hand while serving may own several different prosthetic hands. Military camo is a popular option.
3. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 01:04 · Score: 0
  
  MOD DOWN this irrelevant backside noise!
4. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 01:19 · Score: 0
  
  Creimertard. Mod down.
5. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 01:36 · Score: 0
  
  Please provide factual citations for your claims. After all, this is your claim, that you provide factual comments and are eager to contribute to the conversation.
  Right now you sound more like an eight year old making shit up.
6. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 02:08 · Score: 0
  
  Shut up cremer you're the last person who gets to comment on the military.
  It actually makes me a little mad that you'd resort to using handless vets to whore for karma
7. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 02:16 · Score: 0
  
  Shut up cremer you're the last person who gets to comment on the military.
  That's ironic considering how many ex-military creimer works with at the FBI.
8. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 02:19 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah but a prosthetic hand certainly won't need IR camo. It's dead and won't give up significant heat, unless it is some sort of weaponized flame-thrower hand.
9. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 02:46 · Score: 0
  
  Casey Neistat: A Shark Bit Off His Hand
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcM5JCGsw3c
10. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 02:51 · Score: 0
  
  2018-06-27 Wed -- 24 -280 14,270 $-0.09 - $-1
  CROFLOL creimer!!!
  minus 280 views! hehe!
  caught running clickbots again Chris?
  creimer's adventures are coming to an end soon!!!
  Meanwhile don't forget to send your 1$ check!
11. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 03:17 · Score: 0
  
  minus 280 views! hehe!
  Actually, it's minus 500 views. The AlienCon 2018 video had 1K view at its peak and YouTube has been revising the view count for that video downward for the past week.
  
  caught running clickbots again Chris?
  We seen this before with the Silicon Valley Comic Con videos. A massive spike in view count during and after that event. The view counts are readjusted two weeks later to discard clicks that didn't show any video. The funny thing about the AlienCon 2018 video is that it has more watch time than all the SVCC 2018 videos combined (22 hours vs 16 hours, respectively).
12. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 03:31 · Score: 0
  
  There you are again spamming amazon and youtube affiliate links with yet another fake account, you revenue stream hogging disgusting fat sexist tube of lard, Christopher Dale Reimer!
  You can be sure I will be watching this fake account too. I know this is you because you told me you were working on your freepass 11 file server and you are so dumb that you can't even masquerade yourself properly.
  Now, I told you I was out of meds last week and you didn't even care to contact me you lazy fucker.
  How many times do I have to express the emergency of the situation??????
  The python click script you wrote for my pheromone revenue stream web site suddenly stopped to work!!!!!!
  You fucking incompetent python script writer!!!
  When it works, I get 4000+ clicks a day on my pheromone revenue stream web site but only 5 or 6 without it!!!!
  Now, it seems like you dont care and that you have abandoned me you heartless fucking pig!
  Bonus:
  Here is a story that creimer told me when convincing me what a hard life he had:
  The tree was him and the tree knot was his butt hole!
  So, his uncle packed his fat ass with lard and with his cock! Not that it makes much of a difference but anyway, there it is!
  Signed:
  Ethell, The girl that used to love you and now hates you, burn in hell where you belong you sexist pig!
13. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 03:56 · Score: 0
  
  We seen this before with the...
  Yeah, we have seen creimer lying and cheating many times before!
14. Re:"Camouflaged a hand owned by a subject" by cyberchondriac · 2018-06-28 08:51 · Score: 1
  
  Perhaps the article is actually referring to the "Hand of Glory", which purportedly conferred some level of camouflage (darkness) to the burglar schooled enough in the arcane arts to use one.
  The new and improved models block IR now too.
  
  --
  
  Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
Arnie did it in "Predator" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-27 22:37 · Score: 1

Useless "scientists".
Arnold Schwarzenegger did just that in Predator.
Probably served him well when he was Duh Governator and wanted to slip out and pork his maid...
1. Re: Arnie did it in "Predator" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-27 23:25 · Score: 0
  
  Poor Arney is never going to live that one down. That's the thing with maids, they're right there so no need to slip out.
2. Re:Arnie did it in "Predator" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 01:57 · Score: 0
  
  Didn't the Mythbusters also do it with just a plain sheet of cloth?
3. Re: Arnie did it in "Predator" by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 02:11 · Score: 0
  
  Well he did slip it out.
Very expensive camouflage ... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-27 22:55 · Score: 0

They are telling us that the materials used for infrared camouflage must be expensive and difficult to fabricate as the gold, the graphene, unknown non-volatile ionic liquid, etc.
There are another cheaper alternatives to fabricate this infrared camouflage with cheaper materials that absorb infrared radiations.
1. Re:Very expensive camouflage ... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 00:01 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah. Even US$30 a square meter plastic film is capable of blocking IR radiation? They are used on cars windows.
  There are the more sophisticated ones, but if IIRC the most expensive was close to US$ 100 a square meter.
2. Re:Very expensive camouflage ... by jellomizer · 2018-06-28 01:23 · Score: 1
  
  For the most part (there are exceptions that will always happen) the simple solutions have been already been found that often solve the big problem. Then as advancements go on the smaller problems become the big problem, which then needs more complex solutions.
  Proto-man: I don't want to freeze to death, solution hide in a hole.
  Early man: I want to move around and not freeze to death, solution Take the fur of other animals and wear them.
  early human: I want greater movement and not having it fall off, solution cut the fur into shapes and tie them together to cover the body better. ...
  To today we are trying to make clothing that will block a wavelength of light we only discovered to exist a little over 200 years ago, to prevent detection from a device invented less then a hundred years ago, which only has been in active use for military reasons for over a generation.
  We need high tech and complex solutions to fight off counter high-tech and complex solutions.
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
I don't want everyone to know about this. by sabbede · 2018-06-27 23:55 · Score: 1

It just sounds like the sort of thing that would have military applications, and perhaps be the key to many more. So why didn't DARPA snap it up before it was published somewhere China would see it?
1. Re:I don't want everyone to know about this. by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 00:26 · Score: 0
  
  Because Graphene
  That is the vaporware of the modern world.
  I would be vastly surprised if anyone gets anything working with this tech in the next ten years.
  If anyone ever gets a reliable production methodology for Graphene, we'll see some VERY interesting stuff in real life.
  Until then, these types of things will only appear in science mags and small labs.
2. Re:I don't want everyone to know about this. by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 01:24 · Score: 0
  
  Military tech almost inevitably has to be rooted in civil technology, or otherwise its cost would be unbearable and its strategic usefulness greatly hindered.
  Remember how expensive and complicated was Manhattan Project, before there were common nuclear fission reactors? Never mind the cost, time needed to obtain strategic material for it was prohibitive for sustained operations.
  Therefore, to use Graphene, military has to seed its usage and its industrial scale production into other industries for the material base.
3. Re:I don't want everyone to know about this. by afidel · 2018-06-28 01:55 · Score: 1
  
  MIT has solved industrial production already. Not sure what the cost is but it's definitely far below lab sample $10,000/g levels.
  
  --
  There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
4. Re:I don't want everyone to know about this. by AHuxley · 2018-06-28 02:14 · Score: 1
  
  The spies in every US university ship all results back to their own nations every year. The USA has no secrets as the spies learn at the same rate the best in the USA are educated at.
  
  --
  Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
mythbusters just used a sheet by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 00:17 · Score: 0

So why are the scientists wasting their time?
1. Re:mythbusters just used a sheet by NathanWoodruff · 2018-06-28 03:34 · Score: 0
  
  You beat me to the punch. I also remember watching this on mythbusters and duplicating it walking down the hall of the company that I worked for 10 years ago, to see if it would set off the alarm at night.
  
  It worked well and didn't set off the alarm.
  
  Nathan
I always wanted to check out the world of by H3lldr0p · 2018-06-28 01:12 · Score: 1

Ghost in the Shell.
This stuff. Themoptical camo. It's a few story points throughout the book and how it's used to evade and so forth. It's also very Cyberpunk. Computer brain interfaces. The world's data at the tips of my thoughts. It's all cool.
Until you look at the poverty, the political situations, the fact that you can brainwash people and implant memories...reality is kinda fucked up there.
So, yeah. If we could get everyone to stop going down this direction in history, I think we might all end up happier in the long run.
buildings thermal isolation by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 01:18 · Score: 0

If this doesn't burn too much energy to function, it could improve energy saving for buildings. Also, switchable thermal bridge could find use in reciprocating thermodynamic machines - engines and heat pumps.
Hardly new by ilsaloving · 2018-06-28 02:32 · Score: 0

How is this new? Arnold Schwarzenegger figured that out decades ago. 1987, specifically.
1. Re:Hardly new by freeze128 · 2018-06-28 07:31 · Score: 1
  
  ...And the Romulans figured it out 25 years before that.
Transparent? by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 03:08 · Score: 0

It needs to be transparent so that it can cover the eyes, which are the most important parts to camouflage.
Civilian Application by Zorro · 2018-06-28 03:44 · Score: 2

Thinner and warmer coats.
Same way GORE-TEX was adopted by hikers and fisherman.
ALL actions "waste" heat! by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 03:48 · Score: 0

You are not *wasting* heat. Increasing entropy is unavoidable side-effect of life.
So to prevent the case where it is truly wasted, simply kill yourself.
How about radio signal emitions? by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 03:58 · Score: 0

So it is electric now and it is supposed to emit electromagnetic waves now. So now we can build self guided rockets targeting those suits :-) One barrage of rockets will eliminate all members of special forces team :-)
You can still see the hand... by Anonymous Coward · 2018-06-28 04:28 · Score: 0

It's a lot fainter and would be much harder to see against a variable background but it's not invisible.
Been here, done that by thunderclees · 2018-06-28 05:30 · Score: 2

The Taliban were using space blankets to try a defeat IR and it worked sometimes
Mandatory predator reference by Tough+Love · 2018-06-28 07:40 · Score: 0

Mandatory predator reference.

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When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
1. Re:Mandatory predator reference by Tough+Love · 2018-06-28 09:11 · Score: 1
  
  Mandatory predator reference.
  Redundant, what? Some dunce with mod points?
  
  --
  When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
Mud is cheaper by Shotgun · 2018-06-28 08:36 · Score: 0

All Arnold had to do to hide from the Predator was to roll around in the mud. Much cheaper.

--
Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
Is this expensive styrofoam? by cyn1c77 · 2018-06-28 11:02 · Score: 1

Seriously, what is the advantage of this over a removable insulating jacket? ... or the mud that Arnold uses in the Predator?
Also, what are the relevant time constants? Once switched on, surely this material cannot maintain low thermal emmisivity forever when strapped to a hot object?
I have a need ... a need for ... by Tjp($)pjT · 2018-06-28 14:53 · Score: 1

I need some of this for my car... lol

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- Tjp
I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!