Title: Invisibility: The History and Science of How Not To Be Seen

Abstract: The idea that it might be possible to make a perfect invisibility cloak was a frequent topic in the news and the scientific literature over the past two decades. The subject of invisibility physics, however, has a history that stretches back well over a century. In this talk, we will look at the origins of invisibility physics, from the first attempts of science fiction writers to explain the impossible, all the way to modern approaches. We will see how concepts of invisibility have touched many aspects of physics through the years, even when it wasn’t directly recognized as such.