Invisibility, Gregory J. Gbur
Invisibility, Gregory J. Gbur
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Invisibility
The History and Science of How Not to Be Seen

Author: Gregory J. Gbur

Narrator: Derek Dysart

Unabridged: 6 hr 59 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/27/2023


Synopsis

A lively exploration of how invisibility has gone from science fiction to fact

Is it possible for something or someone to be made invisible? This question, which has intrigued authors of science fiction for over a century, has become a headline-grabbing topic of scientific research.

In this book, science writer and optical physicist Gregory J. Gbur traces the science of invisibility from its sci-fi origins in the nineteenth-century writings of authors such as H. G. Wells and Fitz James O'Brien to modern stealth technology, invisibility cloaks, and metamaterials. He explores the history of invisibility and its science and technology connections, including the discovery of the electromagnetic spectrum, the development of the atomic model, and quantum theory. He shows how invisibility has moved from fiction to reality, and he questions the hidden paths that lie ahead for researchers.

This is not only the story of invisibility but also the story of humankind's understanding of the nature of light itself, and of the many fascinating figures whose discoveries advanced this knowledge.

About Gregory J. Gbur

Gregory J. Gbur is professor of physics and optical science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is the author of Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics, and he writes two blogs on horror fiction, physics, and nature. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Renee on June 23, 2023

I recently finished Invisibility by Gregory Gbur over a flight of beer on a work trip, and I do believe it is the nerdiest book I’ve read so far this year. Although the book is pitched as “the history and science of how not to be seen,” the subject of invisibility disappears on page 12 and barely sh......more

Goodreads review by Kam Yung on November 04, 2023

A fantastic and readable book on the history of invisibility. But before getting there, the author covers the history of the nature of light from the past through to the present. The excepts of fictional stories featuring invisibility found at the start of each chapter are also very interesting. Onc......more

Goodreads review by Ágoston on December 08, 2023

This was a genuine surprise. I didn't have high hopes: it's a new book, it wasn't overmarketinged, the reviews here were mentioning that it's not all about invisibility etc. Nevertheless, this is an awesome book, must read for every geek and really entertaining for anyone mildly interested in scienc......more

Goodreads review by Fraser on September 18, 2024

Don't let the title fool you. The body of the book is primarily a physics history discussing how science figured out atomic structure, the nature of light and color, with the occasional fictional take mixed in. At the end we get some discussion of how modern science has, to a very limited degree, ma......more

Goodreads review by Matt on May 16, 2023

I appreciate, as a one-time physics major, when a popular science book doesn't pull its punches. Gbur's overview of invisibility in science and story remains accessible while still introducing me to ideas and concepts that I hadn't previously encountered in my undergraduate studies. His personal con......more