Skip to main content

How scientists are creating real-life invisibility cloaks - Max G. Levy

251,641 Views

696 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

A spy presses a button on their suit and blinks out of sight. A wizard wraps himself in a cloak and disappears. A star pilot flicks a switch, and their ship vanishes into space. Invisibility is one of the most tantalizing powers in fiction, spanning all kinds of stories. But could this fantasy ever become a reality? Max G. Levy digs into the technologies that could make invisibility possible.

For an object to be invisible, what would have to change about the visible light that our eyes take in?

Sign in to answer question

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Director Michael Kalopaidis, Zedem Media
  • Educator Max G. Levy
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Wing Luo
  • Animator Christos Papandreopoulos, Maria Savva, Eleni Catherine Demetriou, Rafael Kallistratou
  • Art Director Jeanne Bornet
  • Sound Designer Manolis Manoli
  • Composer Manolis Manoli
  • Produced by Gerta Xhelo, Abdallah Ewis
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Fact-Checker Charles Wallace

More from How Things Work