It sounds like science fiction, but the possibility of
protecting buildings and other structures from damaging
earthquakes via "invisibility cloaks" could be very real. The
idea is to surround the structure with a series of rubber
cylinders that act as a barrier or cloak against seismic waves.
In a paper published last week, a team from the University of
Manchester's School of Mathematics suggested specially treated
rubber cylinders of synthetic metamateral, could be placed in
the ground surrounding critical structures. This material would
absorb and convert the seismic waves into different kinds of
waves that would then dissipate quickly before crippling a
building. The cloaking effect is similar to the techniques used
to make objects invisible by scattering the waves of light
around them. In practice, the building isn't exactly invisible,
but is protected by the barrier that absorbs the seismic waves
and converts them into sound and heat energy. According to a
statement, professor William Parnell noted, "Fi