Super Lens Faraday Cage

Shamballa was nice enough to grace us with this link regarding Cloaking Devices. As I was reading it, I was reminded of the backward constellation brought up in fivestades' Hall of Fame post Number Stars and Connect Four. Putting the two together, I concluded it was possible that the "bubble" around the island is possibly a Super Lens.
I can't give credit to each and every other posted theory that may have influenced this, I know even referencing a bubble around the island reminds me of 2 or 3. So, I will acknowledge everyone on the site for all their great thoughts thus far, as I can't possibly claim that this is a fully original idea, and is influenced by many.

Assume that this island is surrounded by a large electromagnetic dome. One could call this a Faraday cage. Shamballa's article pointed out 2 interesting things: that a Super Lens cloaking device can render objects invisible; and that it can block out strong electromagnetic fields. This would render the Island both invisible to the eye, and invisible to any electronic detection.

Let's look at visible detection first. It's 2004. With satellite imagery, is it even conceivable that there are any "uncharted" islands anymore. If Widmore knows about Dharma, one would suspect that he could very easily explore any uninhabited island he likes. Even if he couldn't get to it, he'd pretty much know where it was. Why hasn't he until now... because it's cloaked.

Need further evidence? Can you see the island from the ship? Has any scene ever showed the island from outside the electromagnetic (storm) bubble? From 5 miles off it's coast, one would think that the island would be visible in the clear, calm South Pacific. I am fairly certain there has never been visible evidence of the Island from outside the perimeter of the "bubble".

OK, so how about electronic detection. Penny's Antarctic listening post caught the island once and only once. In order to electronically "see" the island, she needed the massive disruption caused by the destruction of the Swan station. That would indicate that the Swan Station was not causing the electromagnetic shielding (or Super Lens effect), but possibly controlling it or altering it in some way. It's possible the Swan "focused" the Lens in some way, allowing a certain wavelength to penetrate, or possibly blocking off certain wavelengths that weren't covered in it's "natural state". If the Swan effected the Super Lens in some way, it's possible that the weakness now present is what allows radio communication to function normally between the boat and the island (that and the destruction of the Looking Glass).

If the electromagnetic shielding Super Lens does grant the island invisibility, then how does this effect the Donkey Wheel? If the "Donkey Wheel" (I hate this term, but lack a better one) effects time, either by moving the island in time, or by adjusting the island's already-present quantum displacement (as shown by Faraday in "The Economist"), then moving the island in time alone could be enough. Knocking an invisible island even a few months into the future could easily hide it. For the duration of the few months, the island would simply cease to be. It would not exist just long enough for Widmore to accept minor defeat. It's simply not there, and he can't get to it. When it does reappear -- or rather, when the rest of the world catches up to it -- it's still invisible, both visually and electronically, and still cannot be located. And additionally, should the wheel have reversed the polarity on the island's field, as someone suggested earlier, the 325 bearing that was necessary to pierce the island's veil, would now be moved to 145. Not only would the door be invisible, but Widmore wouldn't have the key.

So why do I think the electromagnetic field forms a Super Lens? That's where fivestades comes in. It's that pesky constellation. If the numbers give is the constellation, then the constellation is the clue. Assuming the island isn't 50,000 years in the future, then what causes reversed constellations? The same thing that causes any image to be flipped, including the image in our eyes, a mirror, or a camera... the lens. According to scientists Milton and Nicorovici, "Instead of having a positive refractive index that makes light bend in the same way as it does when passing from air into a medium like glass or water, the superlens has a negative refractive index that in essence causes light to reverse and travel backwards. When an object is placed next to the superlens, the light bouncing off the object is canceled out by the light reflecting off the superlens, rendering the object invisible." The nifty thing about that is what happens on the opposite side of the lens; the same thing that happens when anything is viewed through a lens passed its focal length. Just like if you looked out through a magnifying glass, as you move the lens away from the eye, eventually the image flips. Hence, our backward constellation.

Is knocking the island forward the only option? Does something prevent backward knocking?

And maybe you addressed this in the above but I just didnt get it, would catching up, require either quicker outiside the bubble time or slower inside bubble time?

Most people think the island had to be knocked forward in time, one because it makes sence based on when Ben Linus ended up, and 2 because a backward time shift doesn't reall hide the island (Widmore would have already waited for it to catch up), it only makes the people only the island older when Widmore finds them.

For the second question... neither. I didn't really address time-speed alteration. No matter where you go in time, real time is already there. If the island went to 1996, it would still be there in 2005. If the island went to 2010, eventually Widmore would also make it to 2010, and ostensibly still be looking for the island. No matter which way it goes, the other party would eventually "catch up".

Moving forward seems the most sensible option.

I'm not sure I'm following this swo correct me if I'm not...
In the classical definition of a visual cloaking field, light is bent around an object. In other words, if I'm using a cloaking field, light hits my right side, the cloaking field captures the light carries the light around me and releases it on my left side allowing the light to continue on and enter the eyes of any observer to my left. it essentially "bends the light around me like the air is moved around the top and bottom of an airfoil, coming back together on the trailing edge.

If this is the definition of a super lens then it would act to cloak the island from observation, hence Faraady's comment about light not scattering quite right on the island.

but I'm not sure how displacing the island in time would hide it from view. For example, if I'm sitting in a chair and i project an image of me from an hour before or after I am in the chair, the chair looks unoccupied. but if I sit in the chair for several hours, projecting an image of me in the chair from an hour before or after wouldn't make a difference since you would still see me in the chair but with a time-shifted image. for a landmass the age and size of the island, it would have to be a time-shifted image from MILLIONS of years before or after the present.

And if you do a quantum displacement shift, aren't you, in essence, shifting the island into a different quantum reality? Because if you shift it into a different quantum reality you are basically shifting it out of our universe

OK, 1st, the super lens cloaking device works a bit differently, in that it doesn't bend light, but relects it. But yes, essentially the same. It also happens to work in non-light spectra (blocking electromagnetism, even). This is all from the supr lens article, not my own knowledge, so defending it would be a bit difficult for me.

2nd, I was saying if you bumped a cloaked island ahead in time, it would not actually be there for [let's just say] 18 months. After 18 months, it would be there, but it would still be cloaked. Making it still invisible, and therefore, nearly un-findable.

3rd, it was proposed that when the island was "moved", it's magnetic polarity was reversed. That would mean that the "doorway" was now on the opposite side (145 degrees instead of 325 degrees).

Put all three together and you get a story like this: Widmore comes back with a new boat (his old one got kinda blown up). He goes back to the coordinates. He comes in the the right bearing. There's no storm. There's no EM field. He sails right through where the island should be and comes out the other side. He's pissed. He waits. He tries again. He still can't see the island. He still can't detect the island. He has to keep trying what he knows. At some point, the island returns, but he can't see it, he can't detect it, and the 325 bearing no longer works. He's pissed. He fails.

MyStarbuckHatesLost wrote:If this is the definition of a super lens then it would act to cloak the island from observation, hence Faraady's comment about light not scattering quite right on the island.

Yes, that would fit the evidence nicely.

I am having a 'Mirror Mirror' moment....

If you just said what I think you said, youre in big trouble! (as shown by Faraday in "The Economist"), then moving the island in time alone could
be enough. Knocking an invisible island even a few months into the
future could easily hide it. For the duration of the few months, the
island would simply cease to be. It would not exist just long enough
for Widmore to accept minor defeat.

Didn't I post this in a previous post, the one where you said it couldnt work for a whole load of reasons. I thought time and space were inseperable. Please enlighten me as to where I've gone wrong??

Anyway enough complaining, I love the Super Lens idea. Brilliant thinking. +1

And I'm still waiting for a reply in our debate. Don't bide your time with these other theories. You'll have to do it eventually.

TheHolyStickman wrote:If you just said what I think you said, youre in big trouble! [/i]

Didn't I post this in a previous post, the one where you said it couldnt work for a whole load of reasons. I thought time and space were inseperable. Please enlighten me as to where I've gone wrong??

Without the super lens, moving the island in time alone would not be enough to hide it. With a super lens, it would. Do I still believe the island has to move in space and time, yes. Would the spacial movement have to be significant, no. Could be as little as 3 mm left.

Ok. thanks for clearing that up. Mr perfect

This idea is wicked, and kinda makes sense. I like it.

BiffyEwan wrote:This idea is wicked, and kinda makes sense. I like it.

I'm glad. And thank you for gracing my theory with your first post on the site. Welcome.

I have always thought that the island is cloaked some how. So this helps explain how in a very scientific way, so thanks CF. I do believe that Ben moved the island in both time and space, I know you agree CF, but can you imagine only moving a few mm, that would be funny

the super lens idea is great. It actually makes sense.

I enjoyed reading all the posts here, there was some good arguments and some good answers!

I see that crown has been quantum-shifted !

Hope wrote:I have always thought that the island is cloaked some how. So this helps explain how in a very scientific way, so thanks CF. I do believe that Ben moved the island in both time and space, I know you agree CF, but can you imagine only moving a few mm, that would be funny

As little as a few millimeters... as much as half the globe. Either is possible. We'll see when that "harsh weather" teaser comes to fruition. What the Super-lens proves is that the island's spacial shift doesn't have to be significant to maintain a hidden island. It still could be.