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  • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 31 2007 8:00 PM

You Know What's Awesome About Invisible Tanks? Everything


This is one of those developments that reaffirms my belief in the impossible.

New technology that can make tanks invisible has been unveiled by the Ministry of Defence.


Holy shit. How do you even react to news that incredible? "Oh really, you invented an invisible tank, huh? Cool, so, uh, should I just give you all my money and belongings or...?"

I pity the guy standing across from him at the next cocktail party. "What have I been up to? Oh... this and that... not too much, really... Annnd, I built an invisible tank. A tank, remember how kick-ass they are? Giant gun, armor, etc... Sure you do, well, I said, why not mix that with, 'invisible'? Ahem, how about you? How's that whole "not building an invisible tank" thing working out for you? Oh, that's too bad."

There are just certain things that, despite my wishes to the contrary, I absolutely do not believe are possible. World-conquering robots, spider-strength, zombies, a funny Dane Cook bit... And then along comes something that throws it all into turmoil. Yes, prior to today, 17 minutes ago, to be precise, the idea of "invisible tanks," sounded fairly fucking preposterous to me... and yet, now we got 'em.

In secret trials last week, the Army said it had made a vehicle completely disappear and predicted that an invisible tank would be ready for service by 2012.


2012 ... I can totally make it 'til then.

The new technology uses cameras and projectors to beam images of the surrounding landscape onto a tank. The result is that anyone looking in the direction of the vehicle only sees what is beyond it and not the tank itself.

A soldier, who was at the trials, said: "This technology is incredible. If I hadn't been present I wouldn't have believed it. I looked across the fields and just saw grass and trees - but in reality I was staring down the barrel of a tank gun."


This sounds like the explanation I'd have heard at the age of 11 from that one kid whose Halloween costume was "army man" every single year. I'd have thought it sounded good but figured it was bullshit.

Even now, two paragraphs back, if you'd asked me to explain how I thought we got invisible tanks I'd have said,"Well, it's simple, someone in the British government has befriended a sorcerer. A 'good-guy one', if he's offering to help us." My second guess would've been, "Hmmm, as far as I know, invisibility is often delivered via a serum... I'm gonna say, someone spilled the serum on a tank and voila! Invisible tank. No? Oh, I'm an idiot? Cool, I'll sit down now...

How the technology works in a combat situation is very sensitive, but the MoD is believed to be testing a military jacket that works on the same principles.


Excuse me, I'm going take a quick break to pen an open letter.

Dear This Article - Please stop blowing my fucking mind. If you keep being so awesome, the rest of my world will begin to fade in comparison. Thank you for understanding.

Okay, I'm back... To sum up, in a few years we'll have invisible tanks running around our planet. What this means is, for the rest of my life, I can no longer scoff at ridiculous theories and ideas... A friend could tell me he built a time machine out of a can-opener and when I laughed he'd hit me with, "Okay, laugh it up, 'guy who didn't believe we could make invisible tanks. Hah, shows what you know... Now I'm off to ancient Atlantis to bet on crab races and I'm not even taking you!" What a rip-off.

Happy Halloween, Jerks!!!


TheCoolerKing asks that if you love comics like Sarah Silverman, Bob Odenkirk and Dana Gould, and feel like helping out a friend of his in need, you should check out the upcoming benefit here: Tom Sharpe Benefit Info. Many thanks.

 

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Comments
thrash242

thrash242

Pearland, TX
September 2004

OCT 31, 2007 08:08 PM

Awesome.

Heathen_Dave

Heathen_Dave

Birmingham, AL
July 2005

OCT 31, 2007 08:21 PM

What?!

Oninotaki

oninotaki

Ypsilanti, MI
March 2003

OCT 31, 2007 08:24 PM

holy freakin crap! This will destroy the minds of every conspiracy theorist out there lol. Oh and just so you know we have had invisible tanks for like 5 years, you just cant see them tongue

Krieger

Krieger

Oxford, MI
May 2007

OCT 31, 2007 08:24 PM

One can only imagine what that would be like. The enemy would have no idea 50 tanks are rolling them into the ground.

VonPink

VonPink

Glens Falls, NY
October 2006

OCT 31, 2007 08:25 PM

Fuck ya. But kinda scary if they get a military jacket that works on the same principles. Ya wont be able to get away with crap.

Happy halloween people

pittsburghpig

pittsburghpig

I'm lost
August 2007

OCT 31, 2007 08:31 PM

Just catching up to wonder woman

stinkyfj60

stinkyfj60

Alamosa, CO
February 2007

OCT 31, 2007 08:36 PM

I need to make my Tercel invisible...


Just sayin.

demaka

demaka

Lexington Park, MD
November 2002

OCT 31, 2007 08:37 PM

Wow. That's amazing. The Brittish goverment did something.... Hollywood's been doing for fucking YEARS. There's a wax museum at Niagara Falls, with movie characters and stuff... Yeah. They use the same "amazing new technology" to make a predator appear out of nowhere. I'm not impressed.

I'll admit.... this is probably the largest scale something like that's been done on. But still, nothing new.

Come to think of it. Anyone remmeber David Copperfield making the statue of liberty dissapear? Yeah, same damned principle. Why is everyone so amazed by it all of a sudden? Boggles the mind.

flabajaba2213

flabajaba2213

Plymouth, MA
July 2006

OCT 31, 2007 08:38 PM

Holy fucking shit, that is beyond badass and such.

Davey_Phoenix

Davey_Phoenix

Vernon, NJ
January 2006

OCT 31, 2007 08:46 PM

So ghost in the shell. Our great grand kids are going to live out all our "invisible in the girls shower" dreams from highschool.

DevilsReject

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH
February 2007

OCT 31, 2007 08:52 PM

pffft!

LOLCats have been doing invisible for years!

SleepyLady

SleepyLady

Los Angeles, CA
October 2007

OCT 31, 2007 08:58 PM

Maybe they can make Dane C. invisible too and people will have to listen to his bits without the miming.

And also this is awesome news - invisible tanks.

soundless too? maybe you can work on that part.

_Tab

_Tab

USA
September 2004

OCT 31, 2007 08:58 PM

Sure they can't see it, but won't they hear it? I mean, it's a fucking tank. And couldn't you still see them with infrared cameras, or heat sensing cameras like the ones they use to look for ghosts on Ghost Hunters?? tongue

Ascanius

Ascanius

USA
October 2006

OCT 31, 2007 09:02 PM

Ascanius

Ascanius

USA
October 2006

OCT 31, 2007 09:03 PM

^^invisible witty comment^^

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