Harry Potter invisibility cloak

by Travis

This story has been making the rounds for years, and apparently scientists are getting ever closer to making a magical object a reality.  Despite the fact that I argue in chapter one of my book that magic and science need not be antithetical, something about the possibility of a real invisibility cloak leaves me un-enthused. 

Maybe it’s that the idea of that technology being real is a little scary for matters such as warfare.  Maybe it’s the simple fact that it feels like some of the magic gets lost – or more importantly, that it might be seen as an Enlightenment rationalist’s one-up on a supernaturalist (“While you’re over there playing with stories about being invisible, we’re over here making it happen for real”). 

More than anything, I think it’s the fact that the cloak in the Potter books is so invested with meaning that I don’t want to see it detached from that meaning.  The invisibility cloak has a long history in story.  King Arthur had one.  Harry had one.  Those are two biggies.  I’m not sure I want everyone to have one.  Dumbledore’s got wisdom for us all: this one is more real in my head than it would be in my hands.

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