Published on 01/22/2008
Scientists have successfully found a way to shield objects from sound, preventing it from being detected using sonar systems. I suspect that this development will definitely see use in the military, especially in the navy where submarines currently emit an aural representation of their current position whenever they are "pinged" by sonars. In order to trick a sonar system, a submarine will have to be surrounded by a shell that directs sound waves to flow around it, and this relies on the density and springiness of the material used. Further work is being done to mold these into a substance that bends sound waves in order to avoid echos, while preventing sound absorbtion so that no acoustic "shadows" are cast.