October 10, 2002: Invisibility Technology - Ray Alden | Virginia Sniper - Candice DeLong
In the second half, inventor Ray Alden discusses his patented three-dimensional cloaking technology that renders objects invisible from any viewing angle. Unlike two-dimensional camouflage systems, his device uses arrays of lenslets and subpixels to emit electromagnetic radiation in multiple trajectories simultaneously, requiring no computer processing. Alden explains potential military applications for light armor vehicles and individual warriors, as well as commercial uses including multi-viewer 3D displays and concealing structures like wind farms.
Art reflects on the broader implications of invisibility technology for society, questioning whether the world is prepared to live alongside objects and people that cannot be seen, drawing comparisons to the ethical dilemmas faced by inventors throughout history.
Key Moments
Sniper not foreign terrorism, victim mix is the message: Former FBI profiler Candice DeLong rejects the foreign-terrorist theory and reads the victim mix - both genders, multiple races, ages from 13 to middle-aged - as a deliberate God-like statement of who can be killed.
He'll have a clearly understandable motive: DeLong predicts the sniper is not insane and that, when caught, his explanation will be a coherent grievance-based motive - 'It won't be because spaceships are drying up his blood.'
Acoustic gunshot triangulation in use: Bell relays a caller tip - corroborated by an emailer - that LAPD in South Central and the U.S. Army in Kosovo deploy microphone arrays to triangulate sniper fire and direct counter-strikes; DeLong says she'll learn more.
Theoretically anything can be made invisible: Inventor Ray Alden tells Art his patented optical-cloaking architecture can in principle make any object invisible - tank, car, person - with cost and resolution as the only real limits, comparable to the Predator effect.
Invisibility favors the terrorist: Asked whether an invisible building would have prevented 9/11, Alden agrees in theory but Bell points out the bigger advantage would have gone to terrorists with an invisible airplane attacking a known fixed target.