According to the BBC, scientists say they are a step closer to developing materials that could render people invisible, just like the invisible cloak in the Harry Potter movies.

Researchers at the University of California in Berkeley have developed a material that can bend light around 3D objects making them “disappear”. The materials do not occur naturally but have been created on a nano scale, measured in billionths of a metre. The team says the principles could one day be scaled up to make invisibility cloaks large enough to hide people.

“In order to have the ‘Harry Potter’ effect, you just need to find the right materials for the visible wavelengths,” says Prof Hess, “and it’s absolutely thrilling to see we’re on the right track.”

This all sounds cool but what about the murderers, rapists and child snatchers who will probably use this to carry out their evil plans. Will the scientists create a cool new technology or a threat to society?